CHP leader Özel on 'Local Government Law': Mayors' collective views must be taken into account

In his speech at the Red Flag Project Introduction Meeting held in front of the Esatpaşa Emine Saadet Çarmıklı Children's Activity Center in Ataşehir, Özel stated that the CHP emerged as the leading party in this neighborhood for the first time in the Local Administration General Elections held on March 31, 2024, and thanked the citizens who voted.

Stating that they are not just introducing an awareness campaign but taking an important step for social justice, Özel said, "We are launching the project of giving a red flag to service venues that have been made suitable for the needs of our disabled citizens and hoisting a red flag here."

Noting that they have taken examples of the project, which was implemented 10 years ago by the former CHP Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Aziz Kocaoğlu, designed the logo, and that it is time to hoist the first flag at this venue, Özel spoke as follows:

"What do you see when you see this flag? Life at the Esatpaşa Neighborhood Emine Saadet Çarmıklı Children's Activity Center will no longer face spatial obstacles for the disabled. Whatever needs to be in a disability-friendly building is present in this building. By hoisting the flag you see behind me in this building, we are telling the disabled and their relatives, 'This building is a disability-friendly building. Spatial, intellectual, and administrative barriers have been removed in this building.' The first question that comes to mind is, how will a visually impaired citizen see this flag when they approach this building? They have also started the necessary work on that; as soon as possible, an auditory warning symbolizing the flag will be heard where the flag is located. There is even a mobile phone program used by our visually impaired citizens. We discussed that it must be made compatible with those programs, that a notification should be sent to the mobile phone of a visually impaired person approaching the building, and that it must be planned that there is such a building nearby and that the building carries a red flag. We will ensure it is implemented as soon as possible."

Stating that according to figures announced 3 years ago in Turkey, there were 5 million 841 thousand disabled citizens, but that some disability associations object to this figure and the current number exceeds 10 million, Özel explained that as a party, they come together with disability organizations at every opportunity and bring their problems to the agenda.

Özel argued that since 2005, when the Law on Disabled People No. 5378 was enacted, there are still many rights that disabled people have not been able to attain in the fields of education, health, employment, social security, and accessibility, and that these regulations have remained on paper.

Stating that employment of disabled people in Turkey is behind Europe, Özel expressed that disabled people also face difficulties in accessing education.

Stating that the Red Flag will be hoisted starting from Ataşehir, from Esatpaşa Neighborhood, Özel noted that red poppies will bloom in all CHP-run municipalities in Istanbul and Turkey.

"THE NEW LAW MUST BE IMPLEMENTED BY STRENGTHENING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS"

Stating that President and AKP leader Erdoğan drew attention to the Local Government Law in his speech at his party's TBMM Group Meeting, Özel said, "This law must be implemented through cooperation, by taking the collective views and demands of mayors from the AK Party, MHP, CHP, IYI Party, New Welfare Party, and DEM Party, by strengthening local governments, and by removing the pressure of tutelage over them."

Pointing to the PKK terrorist organization's decision to dissolve and lay down arms, Özel said, "We say, 'If arms are to be laid down, then fine; if no martyrs are to come, how wonderful; if mothers are not to weep, we are with it; if blood is not to be shed, we are pleased. We defend democracy regarding this.' We were saying the same things during the previous resolution process; Mr. Kemal was saying the same things. Before that, in the 1989 Kurdish report, the CHP-SHP were saying the same things. We are in historical consistency."

Demanding freedom for Ekrem İmamoğlu, Ümit Özdağ, and Selahattin Demirtaş, who are in prison, Özel said, "I will be in Silivri this evening. I invite all of Istanbul's democrats, the Zafer Party members who want to support Ümit Özdağ in Silivri, and the DEM Party members and CHP members who say, 'Let there be democracy in this process, let all prisoners be released,' to Silivri to defend democracy together."

News Source: AA