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Ekrem İmamoğlu, the candidate of Nation Alliance for Metropolitan Mayorship of İstanbul from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has paid a visit to Kartal Municipality and congratulated Mayor Gökhan Yüksel and Princes' Islands Mayor Erdem Gül.
Stating that the recounting of 95 percent of invalid votes has been completed, İmamoğlu has said that the margin of votes is 15 thousand and 500 as of noon hours today (April 8).
'I do not even follow some of his statements'
In response to a question regarding the statements of President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who previously stated that "almost all votes are irregular" and referred to İmamoğlu by saying "He cannot declare his mayorship with 13 thousand votes," İmamoğlu has made the following remarks:
"I do not even follow some of his statements any more. It is better not to follow them than following them feeling sorry. But, since you have reminded me, let me say this: There is currently a margin of over 15 thousand votes.
"15 thousand votes are very precious votes. Each vote is precious, even a single vote is so precious that, as you remember, Dear Bahçeli [Chair of Nationalist Movement Party] once said, 'An election is won even with a single vote and everyone appreciates it.'
"I think it is a beautiful remark of an experienced politician. On the other side, if they can use such sentences finding this number inadequate, then, why did they hold celebrations at 10 p.m. on the first night with 3 thousand votes? [...] They should at least question this."
'We said "We will protect the votes" and we did so'
In his speech at Kartal Municipality, İmamoğlu has also responded to Erdoğan's allegation that "there is an organized crime involved in the elections." İmamoğlu has said,
"I do not know the definition of organized crime, but I know the definition of organized work. We call the members of our party 'the organization.' We know organized working.
"They are again waiting in an organized manner. They are waiting in order to prevent the slightest problem that could arise. They are waiting so that no problems would arise for a single vote. I am grateful to them all. They are the heroes and heroines of this process, the process of democracy.
"We made a promise, we said that we would protect the votes at ballot boxes and we did so. After protecting the votes at the ballot box, we have continued to do the same in the ensuing process.
"In the current situation, we have now taken on the responsibility of protecting the democracy and we will also continue to do so to the end." (PT/SD)
