İstanbul mayor says HDP not a 'terrorist' party, canal project a 'betrayal' of city

Photo: İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality / File

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İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has said that he does not consider the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) a "terrorist" organization despite the closure case against it.

"The HDP is a political party of this country. If you regard a party that got six million votes as terrorists, I'm against that," he said during a program on KRT TV last night (March 30).

However, he added, the HDP should also make self-criticism as to the issues it did not "speak up about."

The party has a closure case against it at the Constitutional Court over its alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The top court's rapporteur stated yesterday that the case should be rejected.

The HDP did not compete for the mayor of İstanbul in the March 2019 local elections and the repeat election three months later, which is thought to have helped İmamoğlu's win against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate.

Canal İstanbul

İmamoğlu also made remarks about the Canal İstanbul, a planned artificial waterway linking the Sea of Marmara in the south and the Black Sea in the north through İstanbul.

"This project is the greatest betrayal of İstanbul. It is necessary to prevent it. We will continue our struggle, using all legal means," he said.

The first tender for the project was lodged in March 2020 and the development plans for the areas around the planned canal route were approved by the Ministry of Environment last week.

Opposition parties, environmentalists and professional organizations have opposed the project, citing concerns over its possible environmental impact, high cost and damage to agricultural lands.

"Canal İstanbul destroys agricultural land of 136 million square meters. It opens an area of 83 million square meters for urbanization," said İmamoğlu.

"There are more than a million empty homes in İstanbul. Constructed buildings are empty," he added, noting that the city had never had such high residential oversupply.

"It's a shame for this city. This city can't be wasted like this. İstanbul's population has a trend of decrease for three years. Now you put a new population of two million people to İstanbul's north," said the mayor.

He also noted that the cost of the project would be 65 billion dollars, citing the government, which shouldn't be done in an "era of poverty."

"After two years, this country will be ruled by the Nation's Alliance. What has been done, those who undertake this job and those who provide finances will never be forgotten by the state and the nation. I believe this." (SO/VK)