Murat Kurum responds to Ekrem İmamoğlu's remark: 'This nation does not vote for a proxy'

Continuing his local election campaign, AKP's Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayoral Candidate Murat Kurum visited the Istanbul Chamber of Industry.

Speaking to the press after the visit, Kurum made statements regarding the current agenda.

Responding to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's remark, "This nation does not vote for a proxy," Kurum stated the following:

"We will not engage in polemics. We will not be part of the issues based on political scenarios, such as what Mr. Ekrem said or did. We will not play their game. This is not an issue for the people of Istanbul. The people of Istanbul have no such concern or problem. They continue to pursue different agendas because they have expectations and questions outside of Istanbul.

First of all, our President is not like the party leaders they are accustomed to or work with. Our President is a world leader with his experience and vision. He is a world leader who has earned the appreciation of the nation in every election he has entered over the past 21 years. We are only proud to work with our President. Our President is the head of our state, the representative of our nation, and the legendary mayor of Istanbul. When we seek his opinion or listen to him, we are following the will of the people. Our perspective is that clear.

As the Istanbul candidate, I speak with our President, I consult with him, and I am proud of it. Our nation knows very well who those who say this to us are talking to. Should we not consult with our President and instead meet with foreign ambassadors, friends? Should we meet with foreign powers, with the places from which they receive cues for the sake of the country's future, as they do? We will continue to consult with the representative of our nation. Let them continue to meet with foreign ambassadors."

WHAT HAPPENED?

IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, in a speech he made recently, alluded to AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and AKP's IMM candidate Murat Kurum, stating, "This nation needs common sense, a democratic mindset, not people who act by getting permission from someone else, but someone who takes instructions from 16 million people and fulfills their desires and requests. Vote for that person, my brother, it's that simple. There is no need for anything else. This nation does not vote for a proxy."