İmamoğlu reacts sharply to obstruction against Beyoğlu Municipality: 'If someone from the CHP did the same...'

Reacting to the Beyoğlu District Governorate's obstruction of the Beyoğlu Municipality, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu stated, "If someone from my own party were to engage in similar behavior, Ekrem İmamoğlu would be a coward if he did not stand up against them."

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İmamoğlu reacts sharply to obstruction against Beyoğlu Municipality: 'If someone from the CHP did the same...'

Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB) and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu made statements during a meeting with members of non-governmental organizations and opinion leaders in Tokat.

Accompanying İmamoğlu in Tokat were CHP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Gökhan Günaydın, CHP Deputy Chair Özgür Karabat, Party Assembly members, deputies, and mayors. İmamoğlu reacted to the Beyoğlu District Governorate's forced eviction of the Beyoğlu Municipality from the government building they shared.

"Who they voted for, what their ethnic origin is... These are not things we would accept," said İmamoğlu, adding, "'I will serve this person, I will not serve that one.' We would never do that. Whoever does this, we will certainly hold them accountable. Look; someone who does this cannot be a member of my party, nor can they be my companion. It is very clear. We cannot accept this. There may be parties that gain prestige when they do this. Perhaps, I don't know, it might even please the leaders at the helm. But we do not carry such morality or upbringing."

"WE ARE NOT A PARTY-STATE"

"We are not a party-state. We are the state of the Republic of Türkiye," emphasized İmamoğlu, continuing as follows:

"It is that clear. Therefore, I walk with the empathy of feeling every part of the country as my homeland and every citizen of this country as my brother. I see that those seeking political survival are doing their best to put obstacles in the way of this unity, and I feel ashamed. The steps taken by some, just to please others in their political journey, even at the risk of pitting citizens against each other so they don't lose their seats, are shameful steps that embarrass us all. Frankly, I know that all our citizens respect and value the sentiment I am describing. I mean, I know that the work done might provide short-term gains, but other than that, it brings nothing."

REACTION TO OBSTRUCTION AGAINST BEYOĞLU MUNICIPALITY

Look; I will give a very simple example as I come to the end of my words. As of this morning, in Beyoğlu, the state's governor, the governorship, the district governor, and the district governorate are removing the Beyoğlu Municipality from the building. From which building are they removing them? A barracks that they finished a few months before the election, 2-3 months before, a barracks finished by a state institution—at that time it was an AK Party municipality—they said, 'You hang the municipality sign on this door, you use 1600 meters of this place. And you, district governor, hang the district governorate sign on that side. Let the district governorate use this place too.' 2-3 months before the elections. The people voted in the election. Now there is a Republican People's Party municipality there. For 15 days, day and night, they say, 'We will come today, we will come tomorrow. Get out, vacate... You hung the sign 2 months before the election!

Look; this alone is a reason for a government to fall, friends. Is this done? For God's sake, I ask you; is this done? What is it? What? What is your purpose? It is still the Beyoğlu Municipality there. It says; Republic of Türkiye Beyoğlu Municipality. On the other side, it says; Republic of Türkiye Beyoğlu District Governorate. The governor should be ashamed, the district governor should be ashamed. Those who gave this order should also be ashamed. I say it this clearly. This is not right. This is not done. This is not done."

"THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO BE FIXED"

“What are we dealing with? We are trying to take back the buildings given to the foundations of this person or that person's children and bring them back to the people," said İmamoğlu, adding, "And they are trying to take them from the people's institution so that it can be what they say. That is the difference. Therefore, this country needs to be fixed."

Continuing his speech, İmamoğlu noted the following:

"Look, similar behavior... I say it from here; I don't know what my political life will be, what my position will be. If someone from my party engages in similar behavior, Ekrem İmamoğlu would be a coward if he did not stand up against them. Whether they are called CHP or something else. This is the property of the state of this country, friends. Look; we are in a place where the children of this Tokat gave martyrs at a young age in our nation's struggle for independence. Which one of us doesn't have a martyr? Which one of us doesn't have a veteran? Can we separate the children of this country from each other? Can such a thing happen? Party, opinion, or ethnic origin... It is shameful, it is a pity, it is a sin. Therefore, I see that this is the issue blocking Türkiye's greatest potential.

This country really needs merit and justice. It needs merit, justice, and effort. I see that every project we carry out in our distinguished cities like Tokat will strengthen local development. I believe that these efforts we are making to lay the foundations for a fairer, more equal, and more livable future for all of Türkiye, and to design a time when our children and youth, who develop and grow Türkiye, look to the future with hope, will achieve absolute success and that we will rise as a nation."

News Source: 12punto