Erdoğan had said 'They squandered the people's money': Mansur Yavaş responds to Paris criticisms

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan targeted CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, and Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) Mayor Mansur Yavaş, who traveled to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Reacting to İmamoğlu and Yavaş over social security (SGK) debts, Erdoğan said, "If a sentence is to be formed regarding the country's resources, what should be criticized is not Çukurova Airport, but the spendthrifts who squandered the people's money in Paris."

A response to the Paris criticisms has come from ABB Mayor Mansur Yavaş.

Ekol TV presenter Sevilay Yılman shared the words Yavaş conveyed to her during their conversation regarding all the criticisms received. Stating that he had decided to go to Paris months ago because ASKİ sports players were participating in the Olympics, Yavaş emphasized that he covered the expenses from his own budget.

"I DID NOT GO TO PARIS FOR A VACATION"

Yavaş's statements are as follows:

“It was the last Olympics for ASKİ national wrestler Taha Akgül. He had requested it long ago because he was going to retire from wrestling. We had decided on the Paris trip months in advance to be by his side. When the chairman called, I told him we had planned this two months ago. I agreed with the chairman to be present at the Sultans of the Net's quarter-final match. After that match, there was no dinner or planning as reported by journalist Şaban Sevinç. Nor would there be, because I did not go to Paris for a vacation. I went to look after the ASKİ athletes."

'WE PAID FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION FROM OUR OWN BUDGETS'

After the chairman, Ekrem İmamoğlu called. He invited me to the opening of the Istanbul House. Despite having limited time, I attended the opening of the Istanbul House for 15 minutes. We went with the Keçiören Mayor, the ASKİ Sports Vice President, the ASKİ Sports Club President, Independent MP Yüksel Aslan, and ASKİ Sports Inc. President Atilla Çelik. We paid for our tickets, hotel accommodations, and transportation from our own budgets. We did not use the budgets of the municipalities or their subsidiaries.”

News Source: 12punto