15.05.2026 18:00
CHP leader Özgür Özel inaugurated the Al-Aqsa Mosque, urban garden, and smart city center in Bornova, İzmir. Emphasizing the local election success, Özel criticized the government's investment policies towards İzmir.
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel inaugurated 4 projects today as part of his İzmir program. First, the opening of Sarnıç Masjid al-Aqsa Mosque took place. Then, the Doğanlar Urban Garden, divided into 24-square-meter plots enabling agriculture within the city, and the Digital Twin-Based Smart City Operations Center, which will enable pre-planning of district management and emergency interventions, were put into service.
Following the openings, Republican People's Party Chairman Özel addressed the participants, evaluating his party's success in the local elections and projects for the city. Stating that they achieved great success in the last local elections, Özel said, "While 10 months have passed since that great defeat, the Republican People's Party, as we promised, became Turkey's first party again after 47 years. We achieved this not only with Republican People's Party members but by embracing all democrats in the country. We fielded 31 mayoral candidates in İzmir, and 29 were elected. To those who said you will lose your strongholds at this rate, we showed everyone that İzmir will not give up on us and that İzmir is the stronghold of democrats. With this belief and determination, we achieved one of the greatest victories in İzmir," he said.
"AS PROMISED, WE OPENED OUR MOSQUE TO SERVICE"
Reminding that they kept their previous promises to the Sarnıç region, Özel said, "We had promised to build a mosque, a village house, and a library worthy of Sarnıç. Those were painful days of the Israeli atrocities, and we wanted to show our solidarity with Palestine and our reaction to the attacks on the Masjid al-Aqsa in East Jerusalem. We said let's build a mosque modeled after the Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem, which is meaningful for all holy religions, and name it the Masjid al-Aqsa Mosque. The promise made that day was kept. We performed our Friday prayers together and opened the mosque to the village's service."
URBAN GARDEN PROJECT
Referring to the urban garden project implemented within the city, Özel said, "Today, areas divided into 24-square-meter plots were allocated to women of the city who want to farm here, with priority determined by drawing lots. Seedlings were provided, support was given for irrigation. They take what they produce not only to their own homes but to contribute to their neighbors' economies. This is not just a mini agriculture practice. Beyond contributing to the family budget, urban gardens represent an important approach where women socialize with each other, become part of production within the opportunities given to them, and maintain their health in touch with nature."
"DIGITAL CENTER OPENED FOR TRAFFIC AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT"
Emphasizing the importance of the inaugurated technology center, Özel said, "We are now in an era where cities' digital twins are created to a certain extent, enabling city management, crisis management, and, God forbid, disaster management to be carried out, facilitated, and flawlessly planned. We are opening our center with a project where a world first is realized in some areas in Turkey, creating a complete virtual model of the district. Through this, district management and emergency interventions are simulated, and necessary measures are taken before they occur. Not neglecting technology and meeting all kinds of citizen demands are indispensable for populist municipalism," he stated.
"İZMİR IS TREATED LIKE A STEPCHILD"
Criticizing the government's financial approaches toward İzmir, Özel said, "Last year, they collected 951 billion liras in taxes from İzmir. Almost 1 trillion. How much investment have they made in İzmir? 32 billion liras. So they take 30 and give one. Food factories have huge ladles; they scoop from İzmir but don't even give back a teaspoon. There is someone who directs only one-thirtieth of what they take to İzmir, almost exploiting İzmir and treating it like a stepchild. If they didn't touch it at all, if İzmir's tax stayed in İzmir, services could be provided 30 times over. There is a government that pays five times the investment to interest, but we spend our municipal resources not on interest but on investment," he said.
"WHEN WE COME TO POWER, I'LL HIT THE HIGHWAY TOLLS WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER"
Reacting to the highway tolls in and around İzmir, Özel said, "You go from İzmir to Çeşme and pay 50 liras. Within the metropolitan borders, you pay nothing. But with this system, if you go from İzmir to Çeşme, it's 50 liras; if you go the same distance this way to Akhisar, you pay 350 liras. Actually, highways should be free after construction costs are recovered. Now they intend to add new toll booths at highway booths and exits. If they do, we will fight through legal means. God willing, when we come to power, the highway will be free for those who endure the city's burden. When we come, I'll hit the highway tolls with a sledgehammer," he concluded.