* Photo: İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality
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European Parliament (EP) Standing Rapporteur on Turkey Nacho Sánchez Amor visited İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and congratulated him on his election win yesterday (January 20).
Appointed as the Standing Rapporteur on Turkey in October 2019, Sánchez Amor visited İmamoğlu in his office at the Metropolitan Municipality in Saraçhane. İmamoğlu was also accompanied by main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu.
Thanking Amor, a social democrat member of the EP, for his visit, İmamoğlu said, "I hope that we can usher in a period when local governments make a much more mature and beneficial contribution to Turkey - European Union (EU) relations in a mutual understanding."
İmamoğlu: Local governments will undertake the real work
"I think, with our aim of becoming successful in our current position, it will also be a successful period for democracy", said İmamoğlu and added:
"I would like you to know that we want to make efforts to establish fruitful and warm relations with everyone who wants to establish a mutual relation with us, especially local administrators and mayors in the EU, so that we can enjoy this success together.
"Whoever wants to establish a mutual relation with us within the body of the EU, I would like to announce that our door is open for you. Then again, I foresee that in the years to come or in this century, local administrators will be louder in international relations and they will, in fact, have the power to improve and even define intersocietal relations better. The real work will fall on the shoulders of local governments."
Amor: You should build a bridge with Europe
Defining İstanbul as an entrance door, Sánchez Amor also said the following:
"I am very happy to be here. I congratulate you twice. Because you won the elections twice. This process means a new political initiative for your country. And you have unexpectedly become a political figure. You should cooperate with local administrations and administrators, thereby building a bridge with Europe and between the cities. That is why we have visited you."
İmamoğlu: I expressed our willingness for partnership
Later in the day, the visit of EP Rapporteur on Turkey was also announced on the international Twitter account of Ekrem İmamoğlu.
The Metropolitan Mayor of İstanbul thanked Sánchez Amor for his visit in following words: "I would like to thank European Parliament's Turkey rapporteur Mr. Nacho Sánchez Amor for his visit today. Together with Ms. Canan Kaftancıoğlu, Head of the CHP's Istanbul Branch, I expressed our willingness to form fruitful partnerships with all mayors and local governments across Europe."
I would like to thank @Europarl_EN's Turkey rapporteur Mr. @NachoSAmor for his visit today.
— Ekrem İmamoğlu (International) (@imamoglu_int) January 20, 2020
Together with Ms. @ccanannnnnn, Head of the CHP's Istanbul Branch, I expressed our willingness to form fruitful partnerships with all mayors and local governments across #Europe. pic.twitter.com/9vvCCHCyzE
(HA/SD)
