Ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) mayoral candidate Murat Kurum is promising to deliver a series of key projects that would ideally end Istanbul’s notorious traffic congestions in the next decade "for good."

"Our ‘Istanbul Vision’ will halt the terrible direction of this neglected city," Kurum told a ceremony in Istanbul on Thursday as he unveiled his election promises nearly two months ahead of the high-stakes local vote on March 31.

The AK Party is intent on winning back the seat of mayor in Türkiye’s most populated city and ending what the party’s chair, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, described as an "interregnum" in the city, which was governed by AK Party mayors before the main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), won municipal elections in 2019.

Kurum, former Minister of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change, is squaring off against incumbent Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu in the March municipal elections.

Imamoğlu, on top of fighting a lawsuit that could ban him from politics for good, has been facing an onslaught of criticism over increasing incidents, accidents and breakdowns in public transportation vehicles affiliated with his office, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB).

Traffic congestion has become a major source of discontent, with residents facing prolonged commutes and seeking practical solutions to ease daily travel. The existing public transportation network, designed to alleviate congestion, is perceived as falling short of meeting the needs of Istanbul's expanding population.

Kurum’s ambitious projects, ranging from carving two tunnels on both sides of Istanbul to rehabilitating some 650,000 earthquake-safe buildings, are aimed at what he called "compensating for the lost five years of Istanbul."

"We promise an Istanbul that transports, not troubles," Kurum said, pointing out that Istanbulites annually lose 288 hours in traffic, which he noted has surged to 64% since 2019.

If he wins, the AK Party candidate will expand the city’s highways to 48% and railways to 48% by 2034, which would ease the congestions that pile up on main routes and reduce the average commuting time from 64 minutes to 34 minutes.

Istanbul’s metro network too would be extended from its current 328 kilometers (203.81 miles) to 650 kilometers by 2029 and ultimately 1,004 kilometers by 2034.

Kurum is also looking to remove two major bus terminals to the peripheries of Istanbul to ease intracity traffic, extend the Metrobus line system that stretches from far-flung Beylikdüzü on the European side to Kadıköy on the Asian side and construct a parking lot that can accommodate up to 250,000 vehicles, with a 25% discount on fees.

Lambasting Imamoğlu’s administration for failing to accomplish "not even 5% of everything he promised," Kurum also declared he would tackle the critical issue of urban transformation by building 650,000 new houses in 39 districts of Istanbul, which largely sits on a fault line.

Seven locations will have emergency coordination centers, including at all three Istanbul airports, Kurum added, to operate in line with land, air and naval routes during times of disaster.

Kurum’s other pledges included sustainable social support in recruitment processes, for newlyweds, incentives for startups and students, as well as kindergartners in every neighborhood, new water purification facilities and green spaces like parks and cafes across the city.

"Istanbul has been stagnating since 2019 and become a tangle of problems and chaos but Istanbul is not helpless," Kurum said.

In the aftermath of last May's general elections, the March 31 vote is a test of popular support for the CHP and the AK Party. It will show whether the fractured opposition can recoup in time and if the AK Party is still popular despite challenges.