Tanju Özcan's response to Erdoğan: 'You are being deceived again', 'I will not forgive you'

Pointing to the ongoing 'responsibility' debate, Erdoğan said, "We will not hesitate to do whatever is necessary to ensure that those who have any responsibility or negligence in the occurrence of this massacre, which tore 78 of our lives away from us, are held accountable. If there is something under our jurisdiction, we will ask for it," but spent most of his speech attacking Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan without naming him.

Erdoğan had said the following:

The point that draws attention here is that the inspectors' findings largely overlap with the report regarding the defects of the hotel, which were swept under the rug by municipal officials in December through a collusive withdrawal.

This situation has caused our pain to be compounded even further. The scandal, which the person sitting in the mayor's chair tried to legitimize by saying 'the fire chief was scared,' but which later became understood to have other reasons involved in subsequent statements, must be addressed with sensitivity.

I believe that during the investigation process, this incident of withdrawing the application will also be investigated in all its dimensions, the dark points will be illuminated, and the question marks will be resolved.

"SEEKING TO PRODUCE WORDS"

Özcan responded to Erdoğan's words with a video he published on social media. Addressing Erdoğan, Özcan reiterated that the Grand Kartal Hotel was not within the municipality's area of responsibility.

Özcan said the following:

Some are also seeking to produce words from group meetings. Everyone accepts that the hotel that burned down is not within the borders of Bolu Municipality or its adjacent area. Even the deaf sultan has heard that the board that issued the construction permit was the Provincial Special Administration, and that it passed entirely to the Ministry of Tourism by issuing a tourism incentive certificate.

It is clear that a private agency provided the fire insurance for the hotel. The authority to inspect workplace safety belongs to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security. I ask the President: Does the Provincial Special Administration belong to Bolu Municipality, or is the Ministry of Tourism and Labor affiliated with Bolu Municipality?

"YOU ARE BEING DECEIVED AGAIN"

Is the company that provided the fire insurance an affiliate of the municipality? While these facts are clear, I regretfully condemn the President for turning the incident into a wolf and lamb story and trying to shift the responsibility to our municipality, which has nothing to do with it, instead of handing the real culprits over to justice. The people responsible and the authorities regarding this fire are known.

Instead of hiding them and throwing mud and slander around to protect them, hand over the real criminals to the judicial system in Turkey immediately. Mr. President, just as you were deceived in the past, you are being deceived again. The day will come when you will say, "May God forgive me, may the nation forgive me."

I do not know if God will forgive you, but on behalf of the people of Bolu, I will not forgive you. I will not grant you my right in the presence of God.

News Source: 12punto