İmamoğlu: Producing solutions just to win elections is not our job

İSKİ has completed the rehabilitation of streams with missing or insufficient cross-sections in the area referred to as the European 2nd Region of Istanbul (the districts of Avcılar, Bakırköy, Başakşehir, Büyükçekmece, Beylikdüzü, Çatalca, Esenyurt, Küçükçekmece, and Silivri). 

The “European 2nd Region Stream Rehabilitation and Maintenance and Repair Promotion Ceremony,” held at Esenyurt Cumhuriyet Square for the completed services, took place with the participation of IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Küçükçekmece Mayor Kemal Çebi, and Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün.

At the ceremony, İmamoğlu, Özer, and İSKİ General Manager Dr. Şafak Başa each delivered speeches. 

Stating that every investment made in Istanbul's infrastructure is part of the goal of providing a more qualified and higher-quality life to the city, IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu shared his happiness in completing a very comprehensive investment project.

Stating that they have completed a giant investment of 3 billion liras, İmamoğlu summarized the work done as follows:

“We have carried out a massive investment of approximately 3 billion liras covering 9 districts of Istanbul. Within the scope of this investment, we performed stream rehabilitation construction over a length of exactly 10 thousand 600 meters. We carried out stream cleaning of exactly 555 thousand 623 meters in 44 different streams. We removed exactly 2 million 443 thousand 832 cubic meters of material from the streams. We completed the cleaning of exactly 487 thousand 337 meters of collectors.”

THERE WERE VERY SERIOUS LOSSES OF LIFE

Emphasizing that the project involved large-volume works, İmamoğlu said, “These studies and plans are made by dividing Istanbul into different regions. In this context, the completion description of the project we are at today is defined as the 2nd region. Unfortunately, as you know, our streams and valleys have caused very serious losses of life from the past to the present. At this point, Haramidere is at the forefront of the regions that suffer the most and experience the most trouble from this. In this respect, I can say that we have ended the problem of stream rehabilitation, which is one of the most important sources of flooding, with strong investments during our term. Before us, the approach to this issue was different. It was about opening valleys to zoning and seeing the gaps on the edges of the valleys as rent areas. We, on the other hand, have transformed these places into life valleys.”

“WE ARE BOTH PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH AND PREVENTING ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION”

Noting that they have spread the Life Valley project, which he implemented during his time as Mayor of Beylikdüzü, to all of Istanbul, İmamoğlu said, “Here, especially Haramidere has become one of the very special points of our work. The Yaşar Kemal Square, which we have offered for your service within it, has been presented to the service of our fellow citizens in Esenyurt as a product and a showcase of this work. We have carried out and continue to carry out very comprehensive infrastructure works not only on the European side but also on the Asian side. By ensuring that waste goes to wastewater treatment plants as it should, and that rainwater flows into the sea, we are ensuring the sustainability of nature and the sustainability of life in the lives of our people. In this respect, we are both protecting public health and preventing environmental pollution.”

"SAVING THE DAY OR MANAGING THE SITUATION IS NOT OUR POSITION"

Noting that the completed rehabilitation and stream cleaning work concerns approximately 4 million people, İmamoğlu said, “For us, offering our people the existence of an infrastructure that makes their lives easier, allows them to take a comfortable breath, and ensures they do not worry during rainy weather means a solution; it does not mean managing the situation, it means finding a permanent solution. It means a real solution. Saving the day, managing the situation, pulling the wool over people's eyes, or producing solutions just to win an election is not our position. I have always said that our goal is not to win elections. Our goal is to solve the problems of Istanbulites and to win the hearts of Istanbulites and Esenyurt residents. That is the window we look through; it is to save the future of the children.”

“OUR FELLOW CITIZENS UNDERSTAND US VERY WELL”

Saying, “With the strength we receive from our fellow citizens, we will continue to spend the nation's money for the nation,” İmamoğlu added, “With the experience of years, we will express everywhere that our excitement is as high as if we had just started this job today. Public investments are a struggle to make everyone happy, starting with the nature of this city, its children, its youth, and especially its ladies and gentlemen. Our fellow citizens understand us very well. And we understand them very well. That is why we will continue to work for our 16 million people. Our Mayor Ahmet Özer is here. Our mayors of Büyükçekmece, Küçükçekmece, and Avcılar are here. Every mayor has only one journey; to serve their nation. To listen to the word of their nation, not one person, and to make their nation happy. We have no business with partisanship. We have business with making our people happy by serving them. Our nation is tired of those who make a handful of people happy. They sent them home, and we will continue to send them.”

İmamoğlu concluded his speech with the following statements:

“Our Mayor of Göle in Ardahan is here. He is also fighting for the people of Göle... That is how we have shared and will continue to share Istanbul's experience with everyone from Edirne to Kars, from Göle to Marmaris, from Sinop to Hatay. Our nation needs a developmental journey, an action-oriented journey, a populist journey; in other words, an approach that thinks of its people, does not discriminate among them, stands by the poor but does not harvest votes through poverty; an approach that ends poverty and enriches its nation. We are on that journey. No other description can define us.

In this context, as our mayor just expressed, the brotherhood, unity, and solidarity of our districts and cities, and the tolerance, sincerity, respect, love, and neighborly consciousness that our people have for each other, all of these will form the foundation of happiness together. You will see that this brother of yours will continue on his path with an approach that shares and represents all those beautiful feelings within you, full of love, tolerance, and compassion.”

News Source: 12punto