Murat Kurum calls on İmamoğlu to resign: "If it were me, I would resign"

The People's Alliance Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) mayoral candidate Murat Kurum attended the Idealist Hearths (Ülkü Ocakları) meeting held at a hotel in Pendik. Kurum stated, "If I saw that situation at the metro stations, that ordeal at the metrobus stations, believe me, I would resign. Let alone seeing him in Istanbul for a new 5-year term, we expect him to resign from his post right now."

Murat Kurum reminded that they started their election campaign with excitement alongside all Istanbul enthusiasts at the event and have been in the field for 2 months. Expressing that they continue their work with the same excitement as the first day, Kurum thanked MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli for his support. He explained that they aim to save Istanbul from incompetent hands and bring it into safe hands, that they will embrace all Istanbulites, and that they will make every effort necessary to find solutions to their problems.

"HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHEN THE METRO LINE STARTED"

When reminded that IMM President İmamoğlu, in response to the question "Is there a metro project you laid the foundation for?" asked during a program, said that he "laid the foundations for the Mahmutbey-Esenyurt, Çekmeköy-Sancaktepe, and Göztepe-Ataşehir metro lines," Kurum made the following assessment: When we call him an incompetent and indifferent mayor, it bothers him, but we can see from this that he is indeed indifferent.

Unfortunately, he is a mayor who does not even know when the work done, the metro lines built, started, and who can go so far as to lie very comfortably and say 'I laid the foundation'.

Pointing out that during the period when Ekrem İmamoğlu was the Mayor of Beylikdüzü, the CHP municipal council group objected to the loan to be given for the construction of the 3 lines in question in 2017, Kurum said, "Let alone laying the foundation, they are of the same mindset as always, trying to block and hinder the work being done.

"IF I SAW THE ORDEAL AT THE STATIONS, I WOULD RESIGN"

Stating that Istanbulites are now tired and fed up, Kurum continued his speech: Istanbul is waiting for these services to be provided as soon as possible. We see the problems in the metro and metrobus queues on the street every day. These are not a movie, they are a horror movie. If I saw that situation at the metro stations, that ordeal at the metrobus stations, believe me, I would resign.

Let alone seeing him in Istanbul for a new 5-year term, we expect him to resign from his post right now. Can there be such a mindset? You will neither do the work, nor try to claim the work done, and you will ignore the labor and sweat there.

When asked, "What kind of security gap is there in Istanbul?" by recalling his promise that "No mother will worry about her child's safety," Kurum said that there is no service in Istanbul for women when they board metrobuses or buses to get home. Stating that women who leave school or work late at night board metrobuses in anxiety because buses and lines have been removed, that metrobuses catch fire, and that people travel packed together, Kurum promised that they would make the city's streets peaceful and safe.

"PRESENTING THE CITY RESTAURANT AS A PROJECT ASTONISHES US"

In response to the question of whether he would make a plan regarding the City Restaurants (Kent Lokantaları) if he wins the election, Murat Kurum replied: "Presenting the City Restaurant as a project to Istanbul and talking about it as if it were a huge project astonishes us. We can open restaurants and social facilities in all 39 districts of Istanbul in two nights.

We are tired and exhausted of these discourses that try to deceive the nation by describing this as if it were a job, as if it were a skill, by giving half a tea glass of water and milk, and presenting it as a service. We will bring those social facilities back to every part of Istanbul with Beltur, which they have caused to lose money."

Explaining that they could provide coffee shops, reading rooms for young people, and libraries to 964 neighborhoods in 39 districts of Istanbul in 6 months, Kurum assessed, "We would be ashamed to appear before the nation saying 'We did a job' by opening 4 restaurants." The program was also attended by Pendik Mayor Ahmet Cin and Idealist Hearths Istanbul Provincial President Alparslan Doğan.