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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Saruhan Oluç has held a press conference, commenting on Sunday's (June 16) TV debate between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate Binali Yıldırım and main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) Ekrem İmamoğlu ahead of the June 23 repeat elections for İstanbul.
Oluç questioned the source of information of the state-run Anadolu Agency in the March 31 elections, which was also discussed in the debate.
The AA stopped updating the results when İmamoğlu began to catch Yıldırım and did not give further updates for over 10 hours at the election night.
How does the AA receive data?
"AA made a statement on the suspension of data flow, saying, 'We are not an institution that announces the election results, but an institution that delivers data.' Why did they stop the data flow for hours? Secondly, but more importantly, where they get that data?
"YSK (Supreme Election Council) Chair Sadi Güven said, 'AA is not our client. It does not receive data from us.' So, given that the AA does not have reporters to send data from every ballot box, every school, how does it receive the data?
"The CHP didn't say 'We give data,' the HDP didn't say 'We give data,' MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) and İYİ (Good) Party didn't say either. Then one place remains. It means that the AA receives data directly from the AKP's district organizations. This is what AA really needs to answer."
The "stolen votes"
"The whole society watched the debate. Yıldırım could not present a single document or evidence regarding the vote theft. Anyway, the YSK's verdict does not include an expression such as, 'The votes are stolen so we are rerunning the elections.'
"The claim that votes are stolen is completely unfounded and it was revealed once again last night that it was an excuse to hijack the will of the people of İstanbul.
"The people of İstanbul watched the debate curiously, wondering if Binali Yıldırım will tell who stole the votes. He didn't say a single thing."
The Supreme Court of Accounts report
Oluç also criticized Yıldırım for admitting that he has not read the Supreme Court of Accounts report regarding corruption in the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
"He doesn't need to read all the Supreme Court of Account reports. But how doesn't a person who is a candidate for the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality read findings regarding there were irregularities and corruption in İstanbul? The Supreme Court of Accounts reports mention irregularities worth of 753 million liras, how don't you read them?"
The east of Euphrates
When asked about the Syrian refugees problem in İstanbul, Yıldırım said that they will send Syrians to the east of the Euphrates river in Northern Syria, where is currently under the control of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), after they "clean" that area.
Oluç questioned how will Yıldırım do such a thing as a mayor.
"He confused the duties. You are a candidate for İstanbul. With whom will you clean the east of Euphrates? The municipal police?
"Who will you clean from the east of Euphrates? Didn't the Kurdish voters hear your hostile attitude against the Kurdish people who live in the east of Euphrates?" (AS/VK)
