Erdoğan: We will Prevent İstanbul from Being Gifted to Terrorism Supporters

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President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at an opening ceremony in the northern province of Trabzon yesterday (August 25), making remarks on the dismissal of mayors in three Kurdish-majority cities.

Addressing the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Erdoğan said, "Mr. Kemal, you can walk with the members of this terrorist organization from İstanbul to Ankara but we cannot have the tiniest contact with them. CHP, who are you sided with? Don't be deluded with a few municipalities you won," referring to Kılıçdaroğlu's 2017 "March for Justice" which was also supported by members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

The CHP, along with other opposition parties at the parliament, declared support for the HDP after the dismissal of mayors.

On the HDP, Erdoğan said, "Let's teach the necessary lesson at the polls to those who cannot say the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] is a terrorist organization. Here you see, did we remove their mayors of Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van with an administrative decision? We did."

The mayors of the three cities were dismissed last Monday (August 19) by the Ministry of Interior on the grounds of terrorism-related investigations against them. The ministry appointed the governors of the cities as "deputy mayors" instead of the HDP mayors.

The President also criticized İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu because of the floods occurred when he was on holiday: "Those who don't have love and a cause would prioritize their vacations when the city is in the clutches of a disaster. İstanbul lived this. We will protect İstanbul, which is the heritage of Fatih [Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II], just as we protect İstanbul. We will prevent this sacred city from being granted to the supporters of the divisive organization."

After the HDP mayors were replaced with trustees, CHP MP Gürsel Tekin claimed that the AKP is also preparing to oust the mayors of İstanbul and the capital Ankara, both of whom are from the main opposition party. İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu said, "Everyone should now their limits," when he was asked if he expects to be ousted by the government.

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Erdoğan further said in his speech, "We removed them [HDP mayors] but what does the CHP say? It says, 'This against the rights, freedoms and democracy.'

"Have you ever heard the HDP saying the PKK is a terrorist organization. I ask you, have you ever heard?

"CHP, who are you sided with? On whose side you are at? If you say you are sided with Turkey, then what are you doing with the enemies of our nation, especially the terrorist organizations?" (TP/VK)