Turgut Altınok responds to claims of a “secret” entrance at a municipal center in Keçiören, which passed from AKP to CHP

Altınok stated in a written statement that the Social Development Center (TOGEM) was built before he became Mayor of Keçiören, and that it was opened as a therapy and diet center after he took office.

Providing information that the headquarters of a food company owned by the municipality was also located in the TOGEM building, Altınok made the following remarks:

"The baseless claims that the Keçiören Mayor has been trying to bring to the agenda in various media outlets recently regarding the municipality's revenues, expenses, and the TOGEM building do not reflect the truth. At the same time, TOGEM is a small guesthouse belonging to our municipality with 9 rooms. Our citizens in need and earthquake victims have been hosted here. There is not a single room allocated to anyone in this center. It has neither a secret passage nor a secret door. The claims put forward by adding a sense of mystery regarding the TOGEM building are lies, slander, and unfair."

"CLAIMS THAT IT IS IN DEBT ARE BASELESS"

Altınok claimed that he did not have an office outside the municipality during his 20-year tenure as Mayor of Keçiören, and asserted that he did not receive money from the municipality during his term.

Defending that he equipped the Keçiören Municipality, which he took over with debt, with record services and investments, Altınok noted the following:

"The claims that the municipality is in debt are also baseless. We handed over the municipality with 16-17 million liras in its treasury. The municipality only has 10 million in debt to the market. It also has debts to the public, but public debts are paid regularly on a monthly basis through the Iller Bank share and restructuring. There is also a 100 million credit paid for the Atatürk Republic Tower. Therefore, how many mayors in Turkey have handed over a municipality with money in the treasury and no debt to the market? We left behind a municipality with zero debt to the market according to its budget. Furthermore, public debts can also be swapped with municipal land. Thus, debts to the public can be easily paid.

The value of the vehicles purchased for the Keçiören Municipality alone is 1 billion, and the cost of the asphalt laid in Keçiören in the last five-year period is 2 billion liras. Misleading the public and public officials is a legal and humanitarian crime. Those who work in the municipality and convey false and biased claims are also committing a crime. Necessary legal action will be taken against those who deliberately mislead public officials and the public."