The Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) will draw a road map in Ankara in 10 days to implement projects and focus on municipal issues if its candidate is elected in the March 31 elections.
Speaking in a televised interview in Habertürk on Monday, Mehmet Özhaseki, the AK Party candidate for the capital, said that within 10 days he would examine the state of the Ankara municipality in detail and create a road map to implement long and midterm projects. "Following that, I will change the whole management mentality. I will take steps after having negotiations," he noted.
Özhaseki is a former environment minister and is also the AK Party vice chairman in charge of local administrations. He held the Kayseri mayor's office for more than 20 years and is experienced in urban development and management. In the upcoming local elections slated for March 31, Özhaseki is the candidate of the People's alliance formed between the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Planning 111 projects, Özhaseki said, "I have waited for my rival's projects. Yet, no one has announced any projects like mine."
Stressing that there is an inadequate number of open squares in Ankara, Özhaseki said that a new project in Ulus, which used to be a center of attraction but is no longer in a good condition, would renovate the district and shop owners would get new shops. He stressed that Ulus will be one of the most significant stops in the Culture Road Project.
To boost tourism in Ankara, Özhaseki said they would set up the Culture Road project, which will have one short and one long route. The 8-kilometer short route will start from Ankara Castle and end at the July 15 Martyrs Monument, passing by 382 monuments. The 12-kilometer route will start from Ankara Castle's Akkale bastion, the first settlement in Ankara, and end at Atakule, passing by 411 monuments.
Touching on the traffic problem in Ankara, Özhaseki said that if he were elected they would increase the number of subway lines. "The line from Kızılay to the airport will be our priority," Özhaseki said and added that the government will also provide help to manage the traffic problem.
