Erdoğan announces: Murat Kurum is the AKP's Istanbul candidate!

President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended his party's Introduction Meeting at the Haliç Congress Center.

The AKP's Istanbul candidate is former Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum.

Highlights from Erdoğan's statements are as follows:

The program began with the playing of the "Istanbul Again" song prepared for Istanbul for the local elections.

''ISTANBUL AGAIN...''

''Istanbul again... Are we ready? I express my gratitude to each of you for your love, for this affection that does not fit into the halls.

ISRAEL'S GAZA ATTACKS

We also wish God's mercy upon our 23 thousand Palestinian brothers and sisters who were martyred as a result of Israel's vile and barbaric attacks. Those who think they will prosper by shedding more blood and killing children will sooner or later face divine justice. We will make every effort to ensure that the oppressors are held accountable before the law. We will never turn our backs on our brothers just because someone wants us to. We will stand tall by our Palestinian brothers and sisters.

''I WISH OUR CANDIDATES SUCCESS IN ADVANCE''

We are together to announce our candidates for 11 metropolitan and 25 provincial mayoralties. I wish our candidates success in advance. We determined each of our candidates as a result of comprehensive consultations. We may have shortcomings or excesses in this regard. Let no one doubt that we have made sincere efforts in this matter.''

''WE HAVE VIRTUALLY WRITTEN AN EPIC IN MUNICIPALITY''

We have virtually written an epic in municipality. We opened a brand new era in Turkey with the municipal understanding called the '94 spirit'. Wasn't Istanbul described as garbage, pits, and mud? There is a slogan in front of me right now; 'Istanbul Again, AK Party Again.' 'We are ready and determined for the cities of the Century of Turkey.' There is no stopping. We came to power with the November 3, 2002 elections. We have been in power uninterruptedly for over 21 years, each moment of which is full of works and service politics. By obtaining a majority in Parliament with the People's Alliance, we received authorization from our nation for another 5 years. We believe that our Century of Turkey goal will remain incomplete without crowning the works and services we have brought to our country in central administration with successes in municipalities. We sometimes have to pay the bills for the poor management of municipalities in opposition parties. We are appearing before our nation with mayoral candidates who think of their city, not themselves; who make the lives of the public easier, not their own; and who will live and breathe with the agenda of their city and those living there, not their own individual goals. With our ceremony on January 15 in Ankara, where we will start the election campaign, we will be in the field day and night with our candidates and members. Turkey will open the doors to a new era in municipality with its 30 metropolitan cities, 519 districts, 51 provinces, 403 districts, and 390 towns.''

''NONE OF OUR PEOPLE ARE OBLIGED TO VOTE RELUCTANTLY''

In our political culture, there is no holding grudges against the nation. We are only obliged to advise our citizens to use their preferences in favor of the politics of works and services. None of our people are obliged to vote reluctantly for the incompetent. Some scenarios that we hoped remained in the old Turkey have started to be put back into circulation. Minds are being tried to be confused before the election.''

''FOR YEARS THEY MISTOOK THEIR PREJUDICES FOR REALITY''

For years they mistook their prejudices for reality. If they listened to slightly different neighborhoods, they would see that this nation is a noble nation that has shaken the world with cries of 'Allah, Allah', whose dough has been kneaded with Islam, and whose foundation has been laid with Islam. Whatever the preference, it is welcome.

''A DIRTY GAME IS BEING PLAYED OVER LIFESTYLE, ORIGIN, SECT, AND BELIEFS''

A dirty game is being played over lifestyle, origin, sect, and beliefs. Our Republic and its founder Gazi Mustafa Kemal are again being put forward as the most convenient material for exploitation. However, this nation has no problem or issue with either the Republic or Gazi Mustafa Kemal. Engaging in politics by hiding behind these concepts is never a sign of sensitivity. On the contrary, such moves made with false rhetoric are a sign of political exhaustion.

''YOU WILL GET NOTHING FROM RIYADH''

You will get nothing from Riyadh. Painting t-shirts in a different way will not gain you anything. If you are sincere, express this as national and local throughout the country. We can understand the hostility towards us from marginal segments that have issues with terrorist organizations whose strings are in the hands of imperialist powers; what saddens us is the CHP tailing the enemies of Turkey. The CHP has been politically bankrupt for a long time.

''WITH THIS ELECTION, WE WILL ALSO LIBERATE MR. ÖZGÜR''

Mr. Özgür's adventure as chairman was on the verge of ending under the shadow of tutelage before it even began. With this election, we will also liberate Mr. Özgür. For this, first of all, the person at the head of the CHP needs to stop supporting terrorists. Mr. Özgür is trying to gain points by attacking us, but politics cannot be done with a debt of gratitude around one's neck. Instead of dealing with us, Mr. Özgür should first go and get rid of his guardians and masters; he is concerned with rescuing a terrorist arrested for attempting to overthrow the constitutional order from prison by digging a tunnel.

''ISTANBUL WILL REACH ITS DESIRE''

Istanbul will reach its desire. We will definitely take Istanbul out of the last 5-year interregnum period. Part-time mayorship cannot be done. Istanbul is a city that never tolerates neglect. First, you have to fall in love with this city.''

Here are the candidates:

Artvin: Mehmet Kocatepe

Aydın: Mustafa Savaş

Balıkesir: Yücel Yılmaz

Bingöl: Erdal Arıkan

Bitlis: Nesrullah Tanğlay

Bursa: Alinur Aktaş

Çanakkale: Jülide İskenderoğlu

Çankırı: Hüseyin Filiz

Denizli: Osman Zolan

Düzce: Faruk Özlü

Edirne: Belgin İba

Elazığ: Şahin Şerifoğulları

Erzurum: Mehmet Sekmen

Eskişehir: Nebi Hatipoğlu

Giresun: Aytekin Şenlikoğlu

Isparta: Şükrü Başdeğirmen

Kastamonu: Tahsin Babaş

Kocaeli: Tahir Büyükakın

Muğla: Aydın Ayaydın

Ordu: Mehmet Hilmi Güler

Rize: Rahmi Metin

Samsun: Halit Doğan

Sinop: Yakup Üçüncüoğlu

Tokat: Eyüp Eroğlu

Yalova: Mustafa Tutuk

İstanbul: Murat Kurum

"We are concluding our ceremony today here. We will hold the same ceremony in Ankara on the 15th. Istanbul Again, AK Party Again, we are ready and determined. Are we ready? Best of luck."