04.09.2024 16:12
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu expressed his sadness about the demolition of the illegal construction in Vaniköy by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, saying "I am watching with sadness on social media, my friends. They are trying to impress someone, like in a sports event where you want to be first, second, or third on the podium. They are trying to please someone. I am saddened by their descent to such levels."
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu answered questions about the demolition of the illegal construction in Vaniköy after the Tour of Istanbul Press Conference.
Imamoğlu said the following regarding the question of "What is the current situation on the field? Is there a conflict between Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality teams and ministry teams?" "I sadly watch the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization on social media. And they continue to give a bad exam on behalf of our nation. Shall I give a few examples? I don't want to exhaust myself too much on this matter. It is suitable for the Ministry and the Minister who gave this instruction to act by destroying and eliminating all the rules of the state just because they found a toy on it, as the saying goes, 'Actions speak louder than words.' They want to be on the display and in the eyes of a person in a sports event. Shall I be the first, second, or third on the medal podium?"
"THEY HAVE BEEN WATCHING FOR 24 YEARS"
They are trying to find a place in the eyes of a person. I am sorry to see them stoop to such levels. Because they serve in an important institution of the state. Do you know what is painful? They have been watching for 24 years from 1994 to 2018. After 24 years, a person named Adnan Oktar, who was watched by the whole nation on screens and then tried as a criminal organization, is imprisoned. After 24 years, they make a symbolic demolition. Then in this case, a foreign person comes, buys a property, gets permission, and these special processes are carried out. And the Metropolitan Municipality already keeps records. What is strange is that today Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is not allowed to enter the place where the demolition program is scheduled, and the Metropolitan Municipality is trying to take action without informing anyone.
"THE PEOPLE WILL SEND THEM TIN MEDALS AT THE BALLOT BOX"
So the same Minister, the same administration, as I will repeat, I will tell it to the eyes of the people so that our people can see it. I will tell it to their faces like this. Because they approved the construction of a building as a daily facility area on the sidewalk in front of Üsküdar Square on the coast of the Bosphorus in a way that would prevent our expropriation. What's worse is that they are the ones who put our police in front of us while we were demolishing those places. They are the ones who put three buses of police in front of us. Now they are trying to clear themselves. But you know what is bad? It is not a clearance for the people. It is a clearance for a person's eyes. The people will send them tin medals at the ballot box, tin medals. And hopefully, they will wear them around their necks. The guardians of this city are known, the guardians of this city are known.
"WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE GUARDIANS"
With the permission of Allah, as someone who knows the towers they built in the military areas overlooking the Bosphorus, as someone who knows the lawsuits we filed, as someone who did not extract a single square meter of zoning profit from a single square meter, as someone who issued zoning for hundreds of points, even for tiny parcels, in the Ministry of Urbanization, we will continue to fight against the mind that designs for profit. This guardianship of ours is a great guardianship. Today it is the guardianship of Istanbul, tomorrow it will be the guardianship of Turkey. We have a very successful and good team, a good understanding. We also have millions of citizens behind us. Whatever they do, it is in vain. I watch their situation with sadness because they represent an institution of the state."