Tunç Soyer and Murat Çalık…
I was in Izmir/Buca on Tuesday.
I met with former İzmir Metropolitan Municipality President Tunç Soyer , Istanbul/Beylikdüzü Mayor Murat Çalık, and İZBETON General Manager Heval Kaya, who were at the Buca Penal Institutions Campus. I visited the home of former CHP İzmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu, who was placed under house arrest after leaving prison.
Let me say from the beginning that I will write at the end of the article.
All three are in good spirits and good health. As they see the files opened without any evidence, they understand very well the "reason" for their unjust imprisonment, contrary to universal law. They resist and patiently wait for the dark and evil clouds over Turkey to dissipate.
They have full faith that the price they pay is the hope for Türkiye's bright future!
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On the one hand, they are angry that our country is in a position it does not deserve, but on the other hand, they are also happy that our people and the world humanity are met with outrage by those who act outside of democracy and law... They say, "Yes, we are paying the price, but we are also helping to expose the true faces of political Islamists..."
Tunç Soyer, who served two terms as Mayor of Seferihisar and created a city that was envied by "starting from the seeds of his ancestors, developing the local area, and providing the services required by the age," also earned international fame by placing Seferihisar on the world's "Slow Cities" list.
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Mayor Tunç Soyer, who set out with the slogan “İzmir with Love” in 2019, won the hearts of the people by completing hundreds of promised projects despite the pandemic, earthquake, tsunami, flood, fire, increasing exchange rate, and economic crisis during his term as İzmir Metropolitan Mayor.
He tried to pave the way for democracy and law, which are the guarantee of living in harmony, by considering the common good of everyone.
He implemented projects for a city that is compatible with nature and sustainable, taking into account the rights of all living creatures in Izmir as a whole, against the climate crisis.
However, as if "the tree has a worm of its own making", he was stabbed in the back by his own staff!
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The cooperative case against Soyer and his friends continues!
Tunç Soyer evaluates the aftermath of the second hearing as follows: We were detained on July 1st, along with 157 other people, because of this file, which alleged "defrauding a public institution"!
As of today, there are only three people left in detention…
Since no one else is detained, the questions of who these three individuals, including me, who are "strongly suspected of committing a crime," used what tricks, with what intention, and through whom they committed the fraud, remain completely unanswered.
Indeed, since there is no one arrested from the cooperatives, that is, since the strong suspicion of a crime has been eliminated and no personal gain or benefit has been gained, who and how are we defrauding the Municipality and İZBETON, as stated in the indictment?
The answer to this question will be given at the hearing on December 9!
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Our conversation with the esteemed Beylikdüzü Mayor Murat Çalık, whose unforgettable services and success are applauded by all, whose treatment is vehemently condemned in Turkey, and whose health makes millions tremble, was a very cordial one... First, I must underline this.
Murat Çalık is a highly valued intellectual, thinker, and planner! He prioritizes the responsibility of serving our country over his own life! Therefore, I'd like to remind you that someone under state protection deserves extraordinary attention... Let me quickly add: He's in good spirits... He's highly resilient... He's determined and courageous, typical of the Black Sea people...
He reads, writes poems and tirelessly produces new projects for Beylikdüzü…
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He told me about a project of his that really fascinated me.
"Experience Sharing Workshop!" In its mission, experts, known achievers, those who have left their mark, or ordinary citizens, those connected to the land, workers, producers, businesspeople, marketers, sailors, or retirees come and share their experiences, knowledge, and mistakes, and exchange opinions. The aim is not to give advice, but to evaluate the experiences for the future.
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I listened to this project with excitement, thinking that it would enable the grandchildren to experience a cycle in which they pass on the values they have encountered and learned in their lives, but which are forgotten today… Another project of his is “City Institutes, Culture and Art workshops.”
He doesn't envision this project as a mere building. He envisions it as a school that strengthens the perspectives of children and young people, particularly regarding education, talent development, and the arts.
The project advisor was Prof. Selçuk Şirin, whom I admire.
In other words, like other Mayors, he is looking for ways to serve the people who elected him to the fullest.
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İZBETON General Manager Heval Kaya started his speech by saying, “A tree that bears fruit gets stoned.”
He talked about the services provided to Izmir together with Izbeton.
“This should not have been the reward for working day and night,” he said, pointing out that the current President was the reason for this situation… “Cooperative is the most economical method of social solution…
We wanted to complete the project through public assistance, not through contractors, for the benefit of the cooperative members.
Construction percentages are clear. But the new administration halted the municipality's own work. It sealed off the construction sites... Then, with baseless allegations, we've reached this point..."
The visits we made with lawyer Bahar Gürsul and her husband Dostum Veysel once again demonstrated the vital importance of early elections for our country.
BirGün
