MHP candidate runs issues-based campaign
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Şafak Timur
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 26, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The youngest of Istanbul’s mayoral candidates, Ahmet Turgut, 41, is a city planner and handles the issue with a technical, professional approach. One of the main criticisms Turgut has about the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, administration in Istanbul is that it has not made proper use of resources at its disposal
Maneuvering to out flank the arguments of other candidates, the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP’s, Istanbul mayoral candidate aims to gain votes on the strength of his concrete projects for the city.
"Traffic and earthquakes are two urgent problems in Istanbul," Ahmet Turgut told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an exclusive interview Monday. The youngest of Istanbul’s mayoral candidates, Turgut, 41, is a city planner and handles the issue with a technical, professional approach.
When asked how he evaluates the administration run by current Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş, Turgut said, "It has been a disappointment for me. Istanbul has not been managed well."
One of the main criticisms Turgut has about the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, administration in Istanbul is that it did not use resources efficiently. Although Turgut agrees with the main mentality of introducing the Metrobus, which uses a dedicated lane for public transportation down the center of a motorway, he said the amount spent on the Metrobus could have been used much more efficiently for building underground metro lines in Istanbul.
"With the amount spent on the Metrobus, 4 to 5 kilometers of metro line could be built," he said.
Instead of the current Metrobus line, Turgut’s suggestion is to dedicate the right lane of roads for public busses during rush hour and increase the capacity of public buses. Turgut also criticized the existing structure of the Metrobus saying the number of stops is insufficient to handle the intense passenger movement.
"They could not plan and foresee that passenger numbers would increase enormously, especially after they open the line to Söğütlüçeşme [on the Anatolian side]," he said. "Their slogan is ’From Avcılar to Zincirlikuyu it takes only 38 minutes.’ I say, ’From one side of the road to the Metrobus stop, it takes only 20 minutes,’" he said.
More metro lines the answer
The solution for Istanbul’s traffic is more metro lines, and increasing capacity for sea transportation, according to Turgut, a view shared by other candidates as well. Turgut is much more challenging than the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu who committed to building 80 kilometers of metro tracks for Istanbul in five years. Turgut has committed to 200 kilometers.
Turgut is also against building new crossroads and tunnels in Istanbul, which is one of the current municipality administration’s main services. "These would encourage the use of private cars. But we should strengthen public transportation to solve the traffic issue," he said.
Turgut said the current administration has done nothing to prepare for a possible major earthquake in Istanbul. He said 70 percent of the buildings in Istanbul are illegal and there is no existing information on whether the buildings are strong enough to survive a possible earthquake.
As the former head of the City Planners Chamber of Istanbul, Turgut said he was well in command of scientific reports about possible scenarios for an earthquake in Istanbul. Turgut said he plans to start strengthening Istanbul schools in the first six months if he wins the ballot.
Turgut said he would also start inspections of buildings that have a large population during the day, such as factories and mega shopping centers. The next step is to strengthen or rebuild the buildings in cooperation with the property owners. Turgut also plans to rebuild risky housing areas.
"Traffic and earthquakes are two urgent problems in Istanbul," Ahmet Turgut told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an exclusive interview Monday. The youngest of Istanbul’s mayoral candidates, Turgut, 41, is a city planner and handles the issue with a technical, professional approach.
When asked how he evaluates the administration run by current Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş, Turgut said, "It has been a disappointment for me. Istanbul has not been managed well."
One of the main criticisms Turgut has about the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, administration in Istanbul is that it did not use resources efficiently. Although Turgut agrees with the main mentality of introducing the Metrobus, which uses a dedicated lane for public transportation down the center of a motorway, he said the amount spent on the Metrobus could have been used much more efficiently for building underground metro lines in Istanbul.
"With the amount spent on the Metrobus, 4 to 5 kilometers of metro line could be built," he said.
Instead of the current Metrobus line, Turgut’s suggestion is to dedicate the right lane of roads for public busses during rush hour and increase the capacity of public buses. Turgut also criticized the existing structure of the Metrobus saying the number of stops is insufficient to handle the intense passenger movement.
"They could not plan and foresee that passenger numbers would increase enormously, especially after they open the line to Söğütlüçeşme [on the Anatolian side]," he said. "Their slogan is ’From Avcılar to Zincirlikuyu it takes only 38 minutes.’ I say, ’From one side of the road to the Metrobus stop, it takes only 20 minutes,’" he said.
More metro lines the answer
The solution for Istanbul’s traffic is more metro lines, and increasing capacity for sea transportation, according to Turgut, a view shared by other candidates as well. Turgut is much more challenging than the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu who committed to building 80 kilometers of metro tracks for Istanbul in five years. Turgut has committed to 200 kilometers.
Turgut is also against building new crossroads and tunnels in Istanbul, which is one of the current municipality administration’s main services. "These would encourage the use of private cars. But we should strengthen public transportation to solve the traffic issue," he said.
Turgut said the current administration has done nothing to prepare for a possible major earthquake in Istanbul. He said 70 percent of the buildings in Istanbul are illegal and there is no existing information on whether the buildings are strong enough to survive a possible earthquake.
As the former head of the City Planners Chamber of Istanbul, Turgut said he was well in command of scientific reports about possible scenarios for an earthquake in Istanbul. Turgut said he plans to start strengthening Istanbul schools in the first six months if he wins the ballot.
Turgut said he would also start inspections of buildings that have a large population during the day, such as factories and mega shopping centers. The next step is to strengthen or rebuild the buildings in cooperation with the property owners. Turgut also plans to rebuild risky housing areas.