Daily Agenda
Tanker solution to the water crisis in Ankara
The recent chronic water outages in Ankara’s Pursaklar district have made the local people miserable. Residents of the neighborhood, whose taps have not flowed for days, complain about not being able to meet their basic needs and the silence of the authorities. Taking action upon the rising reaction of the citizens, AK Party Pursaklar District Headquarters launched a comprehensive water distribution operation in the district.
Long-term water outages experienced in many parts of the capital Ankara, especially in Pursaklar and Sincan districts, tested the patience of the citizens. Neighborhood residents who cannot meet their basic needs are trying to make their voices heard. AK Party organizations came to the rescue of the people who were waiting for a solution from the ABB administration, distributing water from neighborhood to neighborhood.
STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL WITH “JIN CAN” IN PURSAKLAR
The water crisis in Pursaklar left especially elderly and sick citizens helpless. Citizens waiting at temporary water points set up on the streets described their situation with the following words:
ARİF AKYOL: “HE SAID ‘WATER IS FREE’ WHEN GETTING THE VOTE”
“I am 75 years old, I have never seen anything like this in my life. I have taught and taught; I have never seen such a world. He said, ‘I will give water for free’ in order to get the vote. Did he give the water for free? I swear, the water has not flowed for three months. It has not flowed as much as my little finger. I have been coming here for three or four days; I buy three or four jerry cans that are crippled and take them away. What should I do? ‘How do you meet your bathroom needs?’ If you say; Is there a bathroom left? I am seventy-five years old, I do not bathe. How should I take a bath? I can’t find it anywhere so where should I take my bath? At this time, there is air but no water. They blame Melih Gökçek. Melih Gökçek brought water from that big dam. My advice to Metropolitan Municipality officials; They go from there.
This man needs to leave immediately. I’ll starve if necessary, but let this go. I am calling out to DSI; Let the state take over this matter. He said there was a fifty percent discount on water, then he increased the price by fifty percent. We are two people, the bill was 960 lira. I am a lady and I am; Where am I using 960 liras worth of water? We are paying the bill and there is no water! Thank God I found water from here, what would I do if it wasn’t here?”
MEHMET TEKİNOĞLU: “WHERE THERE IS WATER, WE GO TO WASH”
“There hasn’t been water in our house for five days. Yesterday it flowed for five minutes, but it hasn’t flowed again. We’ve been carrying jerrycans in our cars for a few days now. It was good to get votes; it’s good to give gifts and make promises, but after getting votes, you have to deal with people’s problems. Is this problem only in Ankara in Türkiye? I guess it’s not in Çankaya. It’s only in places like Pursaklar, Keçiören and Sincan.
I am 50 years old; In the past, we used to put black pots on the stove in the village and wash with them. Now we do the same again. Or my son lives in Mamak; If there is water there, we go there to wash. This is a disgrace. If you can’t do it, you will leave. My suggestion to Mr. Mansur; Let them leave the job as soon as possible and give it to the competent people. During Melih Gökçek’s time, tunnels and roads were opened in 45 days; “They cannot lay a kilometer of pipe here.”
CAHİT ÜNAL: “THIS IS THE CAPITAL, BUT THE WATER BILL IS TWICE THAN ELECTRICITY”
“The pursaks are probably being punished. The water has not flowed for fifteen days. They are bringing water with trucks, we are back to the 80s. We are trying to bring life back with transported water. These fountains are flowing, but at least we come and fill them. This is the capital city, but the water bill is twice the electricity bill. The electricity bill is 460 liras, the water bill is 1,390 liras. We are paying the bill for the water we do not use.
ASKİ cannot solve it, at least the state can solve it. It is snowing on Bolu Mountain, there is water everywhere; How come there is no water in Ankara? We cannot use Kesikköprü, Kızılcahamam side. The President probably loves Pursaklar very much (!) that he is making us experience this ordeal. We hear it’s flowing in other places, but not here. I have had this problem for 15-20 days.
We already forgot the bathroom. We wash the dishes with water that we carry in old buckets, as hygienic as it gets. We understand that there may be a water outage for 1-2 days in this period, but this is too much. Some go to school, some are sick. While our president used to say, “Water is a need as important as air, even money should not be charged,” now there is no water and the bill is expensive. Thank God we came across winter, if it was summer there would be illness. What a pity.”
CAPITAL CITY TRADESMEN: “WE BACK TO 30 YEARS AGO”
The local tradesmen, who are unable to do business due to water outages, are reacting to the situation. Hacı Ali Beşer, who runs a women’s hairdresser in Pursaklar, stated that they have been experiencing water shortage for 1.5 months.
Beşer: “We bought a 100 liter tank. We fill it and heat it with an electric heater. We try to serve the customer. Sometimes we run out of water, I buy it from the market so that the customer does not suffer. Our house is the same. It happens when we do not take a shower for 4 days. You cannot find water, you buy 5-liter containers, fill them, and take a casual shower. We are experiencing great suffering regarding water. We are trying to prioritize cleanliness and hygiene by supplying water from outside as much as we can. If this continues. “Fights will start in front of the fountains. You will not be able to get water from the fountains.”
“CHILDREN HAVE DIARRHEA”
Osman Süsener stated that the water has not come for a long time and when it comes, it is cloudy and dirty and said, “We have been experiencing water shortage for about a week. It goes at night and comes in the morning. Sometimes it comes in the morning and goes away in the evening. When it comes, it flows in a mud color. When children drink the water, they get diarrhea. We have been hospitalized with the children. The municipality cannot find any solution for this. We meet our needs with water coming from the mountains. We cannot meet our needs from the neighborhood. Those who have a car go to the mountains and fill water from the fountains. Those who are hospitalized are the only ones.” “We expect them to find a solution to this situation as soon as possible. There is a disease, there are children. The nearest water source is 4-5 kilometers away. We go there with cans, fill them up and come back, but those who don’t have a car go on foot,” he said.
Mukhtar Yasin Gülmez said: “The water has been cut off intermittently for a week. It was said that it would be delivered at 21.00 in the evening, but now it is past 21.00 and there is still no water. We suffered greatly. If it comes at the time it is supposed to be given, the citizen takes precautions accordingly and buys water accordingly; But when the time to give it does not come, great grievances occur. “We also purchased a water tanker from Sincan Municipality to meet urgent needs… Our municipality sent it, our citizens get their water from here,” he said.
MIDNIGHT WATER WATCH IN XINJAN
The situation in Xinjiang has not changed either. In the district where outages paralyzed life, citizens waited by water tankers until midnight. While the people of Sincan, who were aggrieved by the lack of coordination of the Metropolitan Municipality, experienced the difficulty of carrying water in canisters, the AK Party’s Sincan Municipality tried to alleviate the crisis by visiting the neighborhoods with tankers.
“They Couldn’t Manage the Crisis” Citizens especially complain about the lack of planned information and the prolongation of the solution process. The fact that the CHP administration, which set out with the promise of social municipalism, condemned Ankara to “water queues” goes down as a black mark in the history of the capital.
The recruitment of a large number of personnel in a short period of time in the CHP Edirne Municipality led to harsh discussions in the municipal council. At the meeting, there was a war of words between Mayor Filiz Gencan and AK Party Council Member Celal Demir. Mayor Gencan stated that plumbing installations in houses are continuing within the scope of infrastructure works in the Kaleiçi region, and that experienced personnel have been included in the process to carry out the work quickly and healthily. AK Party Council Member Demir criticized the hiring of a large number of personnel in a short time. Demir said, “Was it really necessary to recruit 220 people urgently? A total of 293 people were recruited. However, only 60-70 of them were recruited through advertisements.” Claiming that the principles of merit and transparency were not observed in recruitment, Demir said, “The daughter-in-law of the deputy mayor, the son of the Kırklareli district chairman, the wife of the central district chairman, the disciplinary board member, the nephew of the Tekirdağ CHP deputy, the elder brothers, sisters and wives of the brothers of the municipal council members were recruited. The son of the central district chairman and the wife of the provincial deputy chairman were also included in the list.”
Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek explained the steps they will take to prevent gangs from turning children into crime machines. Gürlek announced that they will ensure that aggravated life imprisonment is given for crimes such as murder, even if they are children. Gürlek, who met with Ankara representatives of media organizations at Ankara Judge’s House for iftar, briefly gave the following messages:
CHILDREN DRIVEN INTO CRIME: We will ensure that children receive aggravated life imprisonment if necessary for murder or other crimes.
FAMILIES’ RESPONSIBILITY: We cannot hold the family responsible for the crime committed by the child. Families need to protect and supervise their children.
AMATEM FORMULA FOR DRUGS: We plan to start the Alcohol and Substance Addiction Treatment and Training Center (AMATEM) process of those who are imprisoned for drug crimes 6 months before their release. After going out, the AMATEM process starts but does not go away. He is released and starts looking for drugs again.
PUNISHMENT FOR YOUTUBERS: Social media accounts that incite children to violence, sexlessness or perverted movements; We also work on YouTubers and influencers.
WEAPONS SHOULD BE LAY UP FIRST: The indispensable part of the terror-free Türkiye process is the complete disarmament of the organization.
NO PERSON-SPECIFIC ARRANGEMENT: Personal arrangements cannot be made. Temporary provisions will probably be included in the law to be enacted.
THERE IS A NEED FOR A CONSTITUTION: Not only for the terror-free Türkiye process, but our country in general needs a new constitution.
STATUS APPRECIATION OF THE ASSEMBLY: (Status discussions for Öcalan) We do not follow that process. It is the discretion of the Parliament.
IMRALI VISITORS: We do not consider any regulation regarding the request of academics and journalists to go to Imrali.
NO CONDITIONAL RELEASE: We do not have conditional release provisions for terrorism crimes.
‘MY CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR IN THE IBB FILE’
I only did my duty as a public prosecutor. I have a clear conscience. There was a major investigation into corruption, fraud and bid rigging.
STATEMENTS OF THAT PERSON: I do not care about the statements of that person (Ekrem İmamoğlu) about me.
REASONABLE TIME: (Completion of the IMM case within a reasonable time) The trial is under the control of the court.
LAWYER REGULATION: We especially think that there should be limits on the meetings between convicts and lawyers.
USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: (Statement by those in prison) He uses social media. Of course, normally he shouldn’t do it.
INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION: We do not intend to make arrangements for individual applications. Arguments like ‘super appeal court’ are meaningless.
DIVORCE CASES AND ALMOST: We want to provide the opportunity to apply mediation provisions in contested divorce cases. First, a divorce decision will be made.
The Unofficial Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Turkish States (TDT) will be held in Istanbul today, hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan. At the meeting, where member countries Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan will be represented, as well as Türkiye and Term President Azerbaijan, the latest developments within the Organization and the steps to be taken in the coming period will be evaluated; Comprehensive consultations will be held on current global and regional issues. On the margins of the meeting, Minister Fidan held bilateral meetings with his counterparts; It is also expected that the heads of guest delegations will be received collectively by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Fidan is expected to emphasize at the meeting that in this period when the region and the international system are going through difficult times in producing peace, stability and justice, it is more important than ever for the CSA countries to expand their cooperation with the need for regional ownership. Fidan will draw attention to the importance of taking a common stance as the Turkish world in ending the ongoing conflicts between the USA, Israel and Iran and the attacks targeting third countries as soon as possible and opening up space for diplomacy. The Pakistan-Afghanistan tension and the steps to be taken to end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots will also be discussed at the meeting.
President Erdoğan had a telephone conversation with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni yesterday. Leaders discussed regional and global issues, especially Türkiye-Italy bilateral relations and the course of the conflict in the region. During the meeting, Erdoğan stated that they are working to further the Türkiye-Italy cooperation in every field, especially trade. He stated that Türkiye is closely following the developments in Iran and their repercussions on the region, and that the necessary suggestions have been made to the parties to avoid steps that increase instability. Erdoğan stated that, as Türkiye, he advocates strengthening the basis for diplomacy, that the international community should work together for this, and that the conflictual process carries risks that will endanger global security. Erdoğan stated that the conflicts in the region and the world once again reveal the importance of NATO allies increasing their cooperation, especially in the defense industry. It was reported that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni conveyed her solidarity and closeness to Erdoğan regarding the ballistic ammunition fired from Iran. In the written statement made by the Italian Prime Ministry, it was said, “The two leaders agreed to maintain close communication.”
President Erdoğan held telephone conversations with many country leaders to evaluate the developments in the region and take steps to reduce tension. During the talks, the importance of diplomatic channels was emphasized in order to ensure regional stability, preservation of peace and to prevent further tensions.
President Erdoğan intensified international diplomacy traffic after the attacks against Iran. In this context, President Erdoğan held telephone conversations with US President Donald Trump, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. During the meetings, it was emphasized that diplomatic channels should be kept open to prevent the rising tension in the region from escalating further.
President Erdoğan also held meetings with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. In the meetings held with their counterparts in Europe within the scope of telephone diplomacy, the effects of the developments in the Middle East on global security and energy markets were also discussed. It was stated that Türkiye will continue its diplomatic initiatives to prevent the crisis from escalating. President Erdoğan’s contacts were not limited only to Western leaders. The President also had telephone conversations with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamed Al Thani. During the meetings, the common stance of the Islamic world, regional stability and diplomatic solutions were discussed. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also contacted Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his wife Emine Erdoğan chatted with the children and paid close attention to them at the program at Vahdettin Mansion. 23 children, aged between 7 and 12, watched the Hacivat-Karagöz play specially prepared for them on the occasion of the program. Popcorn, cotton candy and chocolate were offered to the children.
Children also celebrated the birthday of President Erdoğan, who turned 72 last week. A girl read the poem she wrote to draw attention to Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the drama in Gaza. President Erdoğan said to the child reading the poem, “How beautiful you are, how beautiful your poem is.” he congratulated.
President Erdoğan responded to the children who sang the hymn “Pilgrims in the Kaaba” by saying “Mashallah”.
THANK YOU LETTER FROM CHILDREN
While President Erdoğan answered the children’s questions about Togg, First Lady Erdoğan also answered the questions that the children were curious about during her conversation.
In response to a child’s question about “Zero Waste”, First Lady Erdoğan said, “Let’s use the resources in the world in a way that is sufficient for all of us. We obtain fertilizer by composting our garbage and fallen leaves. In this way, we move away from chemical fertilizer.”
First Lady Erdoğan stated that research has revealed that plastic is found even in fish and said, “We will be protected from plastic. In this way, we will live more naturally.”
The children presented to First Lady Erdoğan the first domestic automobile Togg, the first domestic and national unmanned warplane developed in the defense industry, Bayraktar Kızılelma, and a painting of the Zero Waste Project, which was initiated and successfully carried out by First Lady Erdoğan, and said, “We would like to express that we, as children raised by our state, will also contribute to these achievements in science and science, and that we are working determinedly for this cause.” he said.
The children then presented their letters of gratitude to President Erdoğan and his wife, Emine Erdoğan, stating, “Uncle Tayyip, Aunt Emine, it is very nice to break the fast with you. Thanks to you, we stay in warm homes and grow up with love.”
At the end of the program, President Erdoğan gifted packages consisting of clothes and stationery to the children.
EXCITEMENTAL MEETING WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GUESTS
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife, Emine Erdoğan, shared a post about the iftar program where they came together with children under state protection. In her post on her NSosyal account, First Lady Erdoğan said, “The best guests of our iftar dinner in Istanbul this evening were our children under state protection. It was a great happiness for us to share the same table with our children, who warmed us with their smiles and touched our hearts with their conversations. I wish each of them to have good luck, and I hope that they will meet with the compassion of their foster families and prepare for life in loving homes.”
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