KARALAR EMPHASIZES COMMON SENSE AND SOLIDARITY
KARALAR: “WE CANNOT REMAIN SILENT ABOUT İMAMOĞLU'S ABSENCE”
ANKARA-
Union of Municipalities of Turkiye (UMT) held its regular May Council Meeting in Ankara.
The meeting, chaired by UMT Vice President and Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar, was presided over by UMT Second Vice President and Balıkesir Metropolitan Mayor Ahmet Akın. Bodrum Mayor Tamer Mandalinci and Korkuteli Mayor Saniye Caran also served as Secretary Members of the Council.
The meeting was attended by UMT Council Members: Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere, Bilgehan Erdem, Mayor of Artvin; Filiz Gencan Akın, Mayor of Edirne; Rasim Arı, Mayor of Nevşehir; Tahsin Erdem, Mayor of Zonguldak; Hasan Akgün, Mayor of Büyükçekmece; Mesut Özarslan, Mayor of Keçiören; and Filiz Ceritoğlu Sengel, Mayor of Selçuk.
“We strive to stand by all our municipalities”
“We always listen to the demands of our esteemed mayors and council members, who work day and night to serve their people in their respective cities; we strive to stand by all our municipalities by forming a coalition under the umbrella of the UMT,” said Karalar, emphasizing that a coalition working with collective wisdom can bring progress in areas such as sustainable development, environmental responsibility, disaster preparedness, social justice, and digital transformation.
“We cannot remain silent about İmamoğlu's absence”
Karalar highlighted the detention of UMT and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in his speech. Stating that the UMT cannot remain silent about this situation, Karalar said, "As we discuss the agenda of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey here together, our minds and hearts are with Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is not physically present in this hall but is always with us through the values he represents. Mr. İmamoğlu is not only the mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality; he is also the elected president of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey.
Today, in accordance with the universal principles of law, our belief in democracy, and our respect for the will of the people, we cannot and must not remain silent in the face of his absence."
Continuing his speech, Karalar also reacted to the increasing pressure and investigations against opposition municipalities. “The intensifying pressure and operations against opposition municipalities, the unlawful removal of elected mayors from office, the appointment of trustees, and the politicization of judicial processes are causing great damage to our country's democracy,” he said.
“We find it dangerous to portray municipalities as ‘criminal organizations,’” Karalar said. "We see the confidentiality of investigations being violated every day. This is a troubling situation. We are witnessing the dissemination of false information as if it were true, and we are aware that attempts are being made to shape public perception in this way. The use of terms like ‘crime syndicate leader’ or ‘terrorist organization member’ in violation of the presumption of innocence amounts to passing judgment before an indictment has even been filed."
“Double standards are being applied”
Karalar stated that the judicial processes are not being conducted fairly, saying, “We know that while files from the past 10 years are being requested from opposition municipalities, warnings are being issued to municipalities taken over from the ruling parties not to send information prior to March 31, 2019.” Karalar noted that these practices undermine legal security and the right to a fair trial.
“Maintaining faith in the rule of law is everyone's duty”
Karalar emphasized the importance of maintaining faith in the rule of law and solidarity. “I sincerely hope that Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey, will regain his freedom as soon as possible, continue his duties from where he left off, and that we will all work together again in this hall,” said Karalar, adding, “It is our duty to maintain solidarity, common sense, and faith in the rule of law during this process.”
“There should never be a trustee.”
Recalling President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's statements on the local government system, Karalar said, "In recent days, the President's statements about wanting to work on municipalities, the excessive powers of municipalities, making district governors and governors more effective, and even reducing the role of trustees to a more specific condition are surprising to me. A trustee should never be appointed. What does it mean that a trustee will be subject to special conditions? A trustee should not be appointed. If a mayor has truly committed a crime and been removed from office, there are elected municipal council members there. This should not be a rule. It should be like it was before 2016."
Karalar stated that municipalities have presented solutions regarding SGK debts and that they are awaiting a response, saying, “Instead of hindering municipalities, we need to pave the way for them, increase their revenues, and enable them to provide better services to their people.”
Agenda Items Presented by Secretary General Yıldız.
UMT Secretary General Suat Yıldız presented the agenda items on the 2024 Activity Report, the Amendment to the Regulation on the Organization, Duties, Working Procedures and Principles of the TBB, and the 2024 Final Budget Account. The agenda items were discussed and decided upon at the meeting.
Following the discussion of the agenda items, the vote was conducted among the UMT First Vice President, Council Members, and Specialized Committee Members.