Upon the accusations made by President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Eroğan, claiming that people affiliated with terrorist organizations are recruited by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the Ministry of Interior opened special auditing against the municipality employees. While the inspectors started auditing as of today (December 31), IMM spokesperson Murat Ongun said that it is a conspiracy against CHP Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

ERDOĞAN: "THEY RECRUITED PEOPLE AFFILIATED WITH TERRORIST ORGANISATIONS"

On December 23, President Recep Tayyip Eroğan targeted Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in his speech and said "The Chair of the CHP had promised that not a single person in his municipality would be fired. After the election, they fired 15,000 people in Istanbul alone. If you have honor, do what is necessary. Instead, they recruited 45,000 people, some of whom are affiliated with terrorist organizations."

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality CHP Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu responded to the accusation of the President with a letter. "I have sent this letter to the President this morning, so that he would not turn a blind eye to the false statements and contact us," İmamoğlu stated on December 24. Istanbul Mayor also added that not 45 thousand people, but 21 thousand have been recruited to the municipality.

SPECIAL AUDITING OPENED AGAINST IMM EMPLOYEES

"He is sending me a letter without shame. It is unbelievable," President Erdoğan said, regarding the letter sent by İmamoğlu. Following these words, the Ministry of Interior made a statement regarding the people who were recruited in IMM, on December 26, and stated: "A special inspection was initiated by our Ministry to investigate all aspects of the issue, upon notifications, complaints, and the findings."

In a response to the auditing, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality stated: "If people affiliated with terrorism wander around and find jobs in public institutions, this is not IMM’s problem, but the Ministry of Interior’s, which is responsible for security."

İMAMOĞLU HELD MINISTERS ACCOUNTABLE

Following the statement by the Ministry of Interior, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, spoke at the press conference attended by 11 metropolitan mayors at CHP Headquarters, about the terror inspection initiated against IMM employees. İmamoğlu stated that the ones who must be held accountable are the Minister of Interior and Minister of Justice.

"These same people claimed that thousands of people who were protecting ballot boxes in the Istanbul elections are terrorists. We can answer anything. It is the Minister of Interior who does not fulfill his duty. It is the Minister of Justice who does not judge these people. They are the ones who must be held accountable."

The inspectors started auditing as of today (December 31) IMM spokesperson Murat Ongun said and added that it is a conspiracy against CHP Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.