CHP leader criticizes Erdoğan over municipal debt claims
BALIKESIR
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel has criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's plan to "collect municipal debts," asserting that the most indebted municipalities were inherited from his party.
"If you think that you will wear out the CHP by putting municipalities in trouble and disrupting public services, you are deceived," Özel said during a public gathering in the western province of Balıkesir on July 25.
Özel's comments were in response to Erdoğan's call for "your municipalities to pay their accumulated debts" to the Social Security Institution (SGK), which he made in a speech in parliament the previous day.
"The most indebted municipalities are the ones we just took over from [ruling Justice and Development Party] AKP," Özel said.
He cited Balıkesir, Bursa and Denizli as examples.
"Now they are trying to deduct from us the money they did not pay. In this way, they want the garbage not to be collected, they want public transportation to be disrupted," he said.
"No matter what you do, we will find a way, provide this service, conquer the hearts of the nation and take that power from your hands."
Özel also accused the government of obstructing projects initiated by municipalities managed by the CHP.
"We find resources and funds from the other side of the world, but they do not sign," he said. "Why? To prevent the nation from recognizing how good the CHP is doing."
His remarks come after notable gains by the CHP in the March 31 polls, where it secured over 37 percent of the votes, surpassing the AKP for the first time by around 2 percent.
The CHP's success was widespread, with victories in 35 of the country's 81 provinces. The main opposition party notably won in traditional AKP strongholds such as Bursa, Balıkesir, Denizli, Manisa, Uşak, Kütahya, Kırıkkale and Afyonkarahisar.
