*Photo: AA
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President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appeared on the joint live broadcast of pro-government networks ATV and A Haber last night (March 27).
Mostly talking on the March 31 local elections, Erdoğan hinted that even if their rivals win the elections in specific places, they may not be able to run those municipalities.
Here are highlights from Erdoğan's remarks:
"We hand out tea, they like it"
"Looking at the rallies, I think the survey companies will go seriously wrong. Because when we look at the opinion polls, we see that there are great differences between them.
"But when you look at the rallies, I say, 'the rallies don't lie'.
"This year, you know, we hand out tea to people. Of course, not to men, but to women. They like it, it is good.
"The essential poll will be on Sunday."
"My Kurdish brothers who vote for the HDP..."
"When they understood that they can't deal with the People's Alliance, they appealed to a great lie, claiming that I declared my Kurdish brothers who vote for the HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) terrorists. This is despicable.
"As long as the People's Alliance exists, it is not possible for them to make a region called 'Kurdistan' on this land.
"What if the central government does not give support?"
"I said, 'Those who get off this train will not be able to get on it again'. Because they will not be able to run [the municipalities]. They will not even be able to pay the salaries of personnel.
"We have the debt records of all the municipalities right now. They will not be able to run the municipalities. Those who are not in accordance with the central administration will certainly declare bankruptcy tomorrow.
"My citizens who will cast their votes on Sunday must think, 'What will our situation be if the central government don't give us the necessary support?'"
"No doubt that we will discharge them"
In the mostly Kurdish-populated southeastern regions, the government discharged 95 mayors who are members of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), an ally of the HDP, and appointed trustees to run those municipalities.
During the election period, Erdoğan threatened several times that they could appoint trustees to the municipalities won by the HDP.
"If the mayors who should be shoulder to shoulder with their nation are shoulder to shoulder with terrorist organizations, of course, there is a response to it, there is a price for it.
"Actually they should not be able to be candidates.
"Now I say, after the business is done on the night of the election, the results become clear, if there are ones who committed offenses related to terrorism, like aiding and abetting terrorism or other offenses, we can't wait for five, six or seven years.
"Have no doubt about it. We will discharge those who messed with terrorism." (AS/VK)
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