Istanbul mayor responds to holiday criticism

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Traffic low was reported to be better in the FSM bridge after the urgent action plan. AA photo

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbaş, who has been heavily criticized for going on holiday in the middle of a traffic crisis in Istanbul, has responded to the criticism by saying that he is in control of everything.

“We are in the communication era. The age of waiting in the office is over. I receive information every hour. I am in control of everything from Artvin. My units are also working. We have succeeded in institutionalizing and I must congratulate [our municipality] for this. I have been in politics for 38 years and I have always integrated myself in the public,” he said.

Topbaş was photographed dancing in the Black Sea province of Artvin on July 11. “When I was taking a mountain walk in Artvin, I encountered a group of people from Istanbul. They said to me, ‘Don’t leave us, you have provided great services to Istanbul.’ When I look at the media organs, I see that some people are searching for another mayor. If the media goes on displaying such an attitude, they will lose the public’s trust,” Topbaş said.

Meanwhile, traffic on the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge started flowing again following the urgent action plan taken by the municipality and the governor’s office on July 12.

Measures in the plan proposed that a maximum of six ticket booths be opened for vehicle passage and the number of the active lanes be re-considered in order to prevent crowds from collecting in front of ticket booths. Mobile kiosks and toilets have also been established. Between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. intercity buses will also be allowed to pass over the Bosphorus Bridge, while excavation trucks are to be used on the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge only during those hours.