Erdoğan speaks at AKP's Istanbul rally! İmamoğlu is his target

One week before the local elections, the AKP held its Grand Istanbul Rally at Atatürk Airport.

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan took the stage with Suat Pamukçu, an Istanbul MP who resigned from the New Welfare Party (YRP), and pinned a party badge on him.

Before Erdoğan's speech, artist Cengiz Kurtoğlu took the stage and sang a song. Erdoğan accompanied Kurtoğlu.

#BREAKINGNEWS

Erdoğan sang the song 'Duyanlara Duymayanlara' with Cengiz Kurtoğlu at the opening of the Istanbul rally https://t.co/jNcSr7NrS5 pic.twitter.com/htwRbzPnug

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) March 24, 2024

İMAMOĞLU IS HIS TARGET

Starting his speech after the opening, İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was once again the target of Erdoğan.

"To do something for Istanbul, you need to dedicate your entire mind, heart, and work hours to this city," said Erdoğan, adding, "Of course, nothing remains from a period spent half on skiing, half on vacation, and half on election campaigns to topple one's own party leader."

Highlights from Erdoğan's speech are as follows;

"Today, I see my fellow Istanbulites here who are preparing to take ownership of their city on March 31.

We must save this city from CHP oppression on March 31. This Istanbul is a city for which poets would not trade a single stone for the whole world.

Together, we will open the doors to a new era in municipal services in Istanbul, with its metropolitan municipality and its districts.

"ALL EXISTING METRO LINES BELONG TO US"

What has changed since this friend called Ekrem took office? Trash, potholes, part-time work. Now he talks about waste. He talks about smart municipalism; where is the smart municipalism?

What was the Golden Horn like? A disgrace. This brother of yours saved it from that sea of mud. You can only be worthy of this place by serving it. People are fishing and swimming in the Golden Horn. This happened thanks to this brother of yours. You sent me from there to the Prime Ministry, and to the Presidency. In our political life spanning half a century, there hasn't been a single day we haven't thought about this city.

All of the existing metro lines in Istanbul belong to us, to us. We built them.

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS OBSTRUCTION"

Not much remains after a period spent half on skiing, half on vacation, and half on election campaigns.

Istanbul's problem is a lack of vision. There is no such thing as obstruction. Whatever all other municipalities receive, Istanbul receives more. In terms of other disgraces experienced, this city has gone back 30 years. Bales of money are coming from somewhere and going somewhere. No one has been able to provide an explanation so far. But I still haven't heard an explanation that satisfies the conscience. Politics has been dirtied with all these disgraces. They have dirtied the City of Istanbul. It is our debt of conscience not to leave Istanbul to them.

On one side there are those who only say 'me', and on the other side there are those who only say 'Istanbul'.

We never deny our shortcomings and mistakes. The reforms we have made in terms of rights and freedoms are our reference. Our failure to remove obstacles before the national will is our reference. We owe our victory in all 17 elections we have entered to these references. We embrace Turkey with all its differences.

They constantly slandered us. Whatever they say, we have pushed away every kind of discrimination. We are committed to the same principles today as we were when we took over the trust of this city in 1994.

"THERE ARE 650 THOUSAND PEOPLE"

While other party leaders were lying in their homes, I went to 25 cities. There are currently 650 thousand people in front of me. We are used to one and a half million people in this square. Today, however, there are 650 thousand people.

After the elections, as President, I, my cabinet, my brother Murat and his team will all together accelerate the metro projects under the responsibility of the Metropolitan Municipality.

We will put the Haliç Yacht Harbor and Complex into service. So, what did this person do?

NEW WELFARE STATEMENT

If there are friends among us who are still confused, you must reach out to them; if there is any resentment, we will go and resolve it. We will explain that Istanbul cannot afford to lose another five years. It is extremely important that you go to the ballot box and protect the ballot boxes.

Istanbul will not fall for the games of those who once walked in the shadow of the People's Alliance but now spend all their energy trying to harm the alliance. Because my fellow Istanbulite citizens possess foresight."

News Source: 12punto