As the incumbent Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu was introduced on Friday as the candidate for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reminded voters how the city’s fortunes were turned under the governance of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
“Our motto is Istanbul anew,” Erdoğan told an event in the city, hours after Imamoğlu took stage at a CHP event for upcoming municipal elections.
“We transformed our cities in the past 21 years. We transformed everything from transportation to tourism, from the defense industry to the environment and health care. We saved our country from the legacy of shame due to years of negligence. Istanbul was a city known for uncollected garbage, collapsed roads and mud. We saved Istanbul. But at this point, unfortunately, Istanbul is going back to its old days. So, we adopted a new motto: Istanbul anew. We have to improve Istanbul again. We will work hard to ensure it,” Erdoğan said.
The president is expected on Sunday to announce the AK Party’s Istanbul candidate for the March elections.
