Prime Minister Üstel stated that with the Municipalities Reform, the loss of time experienced in the change of duties in the municipalities at regular intervals will be overcome. Üstel stated that local elections will be held on the last Sunday of November.
Prime minister Ünal Üstel participated in the ‘Headline +’ program broadcast on BRT and made evaluations about the agenda.
Prime Minister Üstel stated that with the Municipalities Reform, the loss of time experienced in the change of duties in the municipalities at regular intervals will be overcome.
“WORKS ON MUNICIPALITY REFORM STARTED IN 2008”
Speaking on the “(Special) Law on the Unification of Municipalities”, Prime Minister Üstel said that the process of municipal reform started in 2008 and that year, villages were connected to municipalities with a “political decision”, but the issue was never addressed afterwards.
Reminding that UBP was in opposition when villages were connected to municipalities in 2008. Üstel said, “At that time, UBP made its opposition, but the government passed the law with the majority of its fingers. After 2008, nothing was done, only the villages were connected to the municipalities and left.”
“NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY THAT MUCH”
Stating that the opposition deputies occupied the rostrum in the extraordinary session of the Assembly, where the parliament discussed the bill on the unification of municipalities last week. Üstel said, “Everyone has the right to see what happened, no one has the right to stretch the society so much.
It has never happened until today, the parliamentary rostrum has been occupied. Did the public need to see and experience this? It wasn’t for me.
We may be missing something, it may go to the constitutional court. Some of the articles of the constitutional court may also be reversed. It doesn’t matter. We will fix it, we will do it again, as long as we do it”.
“WE GAVE OUR EVERYTHING BUT WE DID NOT FIND THE RETURN WE EXPECTED FROM THE UNIONS”
Criticizing the stance of the unions regarding the “(Special) Law on the Unification of Municipalities”, Üstel said:
“The unions began to wail that ’employees will suffer’. We called the unions and said, ‘None of the employees will be victimized, their personal rights will not be touched, we will strengthen the municipalities’.
We gave the assurance, we said, ‘bring whatever you want, we will put it exactly’. But unfortunately they still shout, the aim is political, the aim is to wear out the country in my opinion.
They say on the screen return that they do not object to the reduction of the number of municipalities. I have great respect and love for my unionist friends, but we gave the employees whatever you asked for, why are you still shouting? We gave everything we had, but we could not find the response we expected from the unions.”
Emphasizing that there are financial problems in many municipalities, Üstel stated that they are working to provide good and correct services to the public and urged those who oppose not to engage in populism.
“LOCAL ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD ON THE LAST SUNDAY OF NOVEMBER”
Stating that the criticisms of the municipalities reform are in the name of wearing down the politics. Ünal Üstel said, “Local elections will be held on the last Sunday of November.”
“We said, ‘We will take radical measures and reshape the country,’ and we took the first step from the local administrations,” said Prime Minister Üstel, adding that the committee’s work on making changes to the law on municipalities No. 51/95 is continuing and this will pass before the election.
Reminding that the local elections will be held on the last Sunday of November, Üstel said that the next local elections will be on the last Sunday of November every 4 years.
“As a result of the negotiations with the experts within the scope of the municipalities reform, it was determined as 6 districts, 6 sub-districts and 6 municipalities, but with the subsequent studies, the number of municipalities was increased to 12, 16 and finally to 18 with the decision taken by the Ad-Hoc Committee.”
Üstel also gave the opinion of the opposition regarding the municipal reform, saying, “The opposition’s request is to hold 28 municipalities for the elections and let’s design the municipalities and make a plan for the next 4 years. We want to implement our work as soon as possible in order to provide stronger municipalities and better service to the public.”
“RADICAL DECISIONS OR YOU WILL GO”
Üstel said, “You will either take radical decisions or you will leave. In the pandemic process, our country, like the world, is experiencing problems. In order to keep our economy afloat, we have to implement our works and plans, we have no time to lose.”
“LOCAL ADMINISTRATIONS ARE OUR BIGGEST BLEEDING WOUND. BLEEDING WOUNDS MUST BE TREATED”
Emphasizing that the biggest deficiency is in local administrations. Üstel said, “Local administrations are our biggest bleeding wound. Bleeding wounds should be treated. Our country has no time to lose. The decisions taken must be implemented.”
Stating that the first reason for making arrangements in local administrations was to provide better service to the public. Üstel said, “People have the greatest right to receive better services.”
MINIMUM WAGES AND MIGRATION LAW.
Mentioning the other actions of the government, Üstel explained that the minimum wage was exempted from tax for the first time, and that tax brackets would be adjusted to reflect the higher cost of living for those entering the public sector under the “Immigration Law”. Üstel said that public reform is also among the government’s goals.
“NOW, UNIVERSITIES WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STUDENTS THEY BRING”
Stating that more airplanes will come to the country with the new Ercan Airport, which is planned to be opened on November 15.
Üstel emphasized that they will not forgive those who come as students or tourists but disturb the peace of the people.
Stating that people who come to the country as students or tourists but disturb the peace of the people will be deported.
Üstel said that they are working on the e-visa application to prevent foreigners from disturbing the peace.
Üstel said, “Now universities will be responsible for the students they bring. “No one has the right to disturb the peace of our people,”
Prime Minister Üstel also made evaluations about KIB-TEK . He said that a new law is needed to fix the structural problems in KIB-TEK and that the institution is “studied from a to z” to fix it.