Izmit Municipality had carried out improvement, lighting and staircase work on the City Hospital connection road upon the request of the residents of Tavşantepe Neighborhood. In order to facilitate citizens' access to the hospital, asphalt work was planned on the same road over the weekend. Technical Works Manager Burak Güreşen and his team were not allowed into the area by the Metropolitan Municipality teams on the road that is the responsibility area of Izmit Municipality, where they went for preliminary preparation this morning and were physically attacked.
Sharing the entire process with the public, Izmit Mayor Fatma Kaplan Hürriyet said, “We visited a mosque in Tavşantepe District before the election. Residents of the region stated that the City Hospital connection road was uncomfortable and requested improvement. We widened the road the very next day and installed our solar-powered lighting poles. We both solved the lighting security problems and stabilized the road. A certain part of the road is our area of responsibility, and after a certain point, it falls into the hospital's proprietary area. We wrote a letter to the hospital and said that we would do what was necessary to open a gate and make the road completely asphalt or concrete. While waiting for a response from the hospital, the staircase section was closed after the election. We put that staircase back into use. This morning, Metropolitan construction equipment is coming to the area that is under our responsibility and where we have been working for 3 months and is blocking the road from the beginning. We were making asphalt preparations for this place. But the Metropolitan teams do not allow our teams into the field. On top of that, they are physically attacking our Directorate of Technical Affairs teams. We immediately arrived at the area. The Metropolitan Municipality, which has not seen the need here for a long time and has not provided services, carried out a physical attack on our teams, with the instigation of Council Member İbrahim Efe, just to deal with Izmit Municipality and to create the perception that 'Izmit Municipality does not do it, we do it'. "I condemn the administrators responsible for these events for their irresponsibility," he said.
“THEY HAVE NO WRITING IN THEIR HANDS”
Underlining that they have never had an understanding that hinders service, Mayor Hürriyet said, “We have been calling for compromise since we took office. Give us information about our areas of responsibility, write us or give us a call. We are never offended or prevented by the Metropolitan Municipality from providing this service. But we must do this by informing each other and within the rules of courtesy. We saw the purpose of the Metropolitan Municipality. Let them do the asphalt work here. We know how to say thank you. But today, our Director of Technical Affairs and our staff were physically attacked. I call on the Metropolitan Mayor and administrators. I will hold you accountable for this. I do not accept physical intervention against any of my managers or employees. "We will use all our legal rights in this regard," he said.
“AN ORGANIZED ATTACK”
Stating that they are in favor of doing business together, Mayor Hürriyet said, “We want to serve together. It's a really sneaky plan made today. An organized attack to humiliate us in public. The headman has no knowledge, the school administration has no knowledge, there is no official letter from the hospital. Metropolitan teams suddenly enter our area and block the road. My teams come here for asphalt preparation and encounter this view. He does not take our teams into our own field. "The Metropolitan Municipality must rectify this mistake," he said.
“WE ARE READY TO SERVE TOGETHER”
On the other hand, Mayor Hürriyet underlined that they will not forget the show he made to the AK Party council members and stated that everything done is in favor of the citizens and that they will initiate the legal process on this issue.
Izmit Municipality Technical Works Manager Burak Güreşen said, “We had preparations to lay asphalt after the end of the season. We specifically chose the weekend because it was school. When we came here in the morning for preliminary preparations, the Metropolitan teams also came. They didn't let our truck in. I explained the situation and asked an official to come and let's talk. 15-20 people suddenly became 50-60 people. In order to act constructively, I asked if they had a letter. After all, we are public officials and we do business according to certain legislation. There is no letter, the headman has no knowledge, the school administration has no knowledge. They dragged us down. My teammates were also beaten. I have been a municipal employee for 12 years and I have never encountered such a situation. "They came with direct aggressive actions," he said.
