'Binali Yıldırım' debate in İzmir Kemalpaşa Municipality

During the AKP era, the area in Kemalpaşa, which was previously a swamp, was transformed through various projects into a Public Garden featuring an artificial lake and a 1-kilometer artificial stream, covering an area of approximately 550 thousand square meters, and was named after the then-Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and İzmir Deputy Binali Yıldırım. 

Yesterday, at the Kemalpaşa Municipal Council, the CHP Group proposed changing the name from Binali Yıldırım to Bülent Ecevit. Expressing that he did not find the proposal appropriate, AKP Group Deputy Chairman and Provincial Youth Branch President Recep Tayyip Taslak stated, "As the People's Alliance, we absolutely reject this motion. The names of two of our country's most important prime ministers are already in the past. We do not consider this type of motion regarding a statesman who has served as the speaker of our Veteran Assembly and is our last prime minister, whose name it currently bears, to be correct. We absolutely reject it. As the Municipal Council, we want to show our will and have the name of the Binali Yıldırım Public Garden remain the same."

CHP Council Member Selçuk Karakülçe said, "Just as July 15 is important for the AK Party and the People's Alliance, July 20 is just as important a date for Turkish society. May God grant Binali Yıldırım a long life. His name can be given to other places to be built in the coming period."

"IT WILL MAKE KEMALPAŞA MUNICIPALITY LOOK RIDICULOUS"

Responding to CHP Council Member Karakülçe, AKP Group Deputy Chairman Recep Tayyip Taslak said, "I want to ask this based on Mr. Selçuk's statement. He said that July 15 is only important for the AKP.

In the coup attempt that took place, 256 of our citizens were martyred; thousands of our citizens were wounded and became veterans. Our Veteran Assembly was bombed, and bridges were closed with tanks and rifles.

Is this coup attempt not acceptable for the CHP? Is this what you are trying to express here? The name Binali Yıldırım Public Garden already exists based on his own expression. It would be more appropriate to give the name of the late Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit to a park or garden that our municipality will build from now on.

We want the mayor to show his will and correct this situation without sending it to the commissions. Changing the name of Binali Yıldırım, who has already served as the last prime minister in our country, will make the Kemalpaşa Municipality look ridiculous," he said. The motion submitted by the CHP council members was sent to the commissions.

News Source: İHA