CHP municipalities say they will continue donations

ANKARA

A total of 250 mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) have issued a joint declaration against the government’s decision to block donations they collected to help low-income individuals in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they will continue to help people in need.

“We know how vital it is for central government and local administrations to work in harmony. We are aware that working in harmony would have pros both for Turkey and for the district we service,” said the joint declaration.

The CHP-run municipalities did not discriminate between citizens since they took office after the local elections last year, it said.

“We have seen the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak as a social struggle,” said the mayors.

“Although we are prevented from time to time during this time, we try to overcome the problems with determination,” said the statement.

“In the holy month of Ramadan, we will take care of our people with respect and continue to deal with all their problems. Although the bank accounts of some municipalities have been blocked aiming to prevent the food we have been providing for families in need for years, we have overcome this obstacle with our means. We will continue our mission with a social municipality understanding, leaving the obstacles we face to the conscience of our people,” said the declaration.

The Istanbul and Ankara metropolitan municipalities, run by the CHP, recently launched their donation campaigns to provide help to citizens in need during the coronavirus crisis. But their bank accounts were later blocked by the government.

On March 31, Turkey’s Interior Ministry said that municipalities run by the main opposition are “not abiding by the laws” in donation campaigns they launched during the coronavirus outbreak.

In a circular, the ministry said the municipalities need to get permission from the corresponding governor’s offices for the launched donation campaigns.

The circular also stipulated that legal action will be launched against the municipalities that carry out campaigns without the governor’s offices’ permissions.