İmamoğlu Won't 'Immediately' Reintroduce Alcohol Service in Municipal Facilities

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Ekrem İmamoğlu, the mayor-elect of İstanbul who will assume office today (June 27), told Habertürk TV that he is not planning to resume alcohol service in the social facilities that are run by the municipality.

İmamoğlu first told he will not resume alcohol service in a TV debate with his rival before the revote, drawing criticism on social media from his supporters.

"Why do I immediately introduce alcohol service? Why do they make this up?" he asked, saying that the people are happy with the current situation.

The cafes and restarurants do not offer alcoholic drinks since 1994, when the current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan became the mayor of the city.

While the pro-government media suggests that he may fire many employees who began to work at the municipality in the Justice and Development Party (AKP) era, İmamoğlu said he has no prejudices against the employees of the municipality, but noted that he won't tolerate "trolls" and "party militants."

"We will remind all our employees that neither I nor a party's leader pays their salaries. Sixteen million people of this city pay it. We don't want troll employees."

İmamoğlu added that he has been noticed of employees who "act like a party's militant.

"Partisanship deeply penetrated the municipality. There was personnel who were brought to rallies. My employees won't go to rallies.

"The employees of the municipality are not my colleagues from the moment they involve in partisanship. Even if they do this in the name of the CHP [the main opposition Republican People's Party]."

İmamoğlu, the candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), won the June 23 repeat election for İstanbul mayor by receiving 54 percent of the votes. (AS/VK)