68-year-old Turlais' immediate reaction to having the mayor's chain around his neck was to talk up his previous achievements and remind everyone of one rather obvious fact.
“I am here not to polish my career, because in my previous life I have achieved enough to be proud of. What I care about is the image of the city and the well-being of the inhabitants of Riga. Let us be proud of our city and not forget that it is also the capital of our country,” he said.
Turlais has been working in Riga City Council since the 2009 municipal elections as part of the Honor To Serve Rīga (GKR) party, the latest in a long succession of political parties of which he has been a member.
Turlais was commander of the Defense Forces of the Republic of Latvia (1992-1994) and later a Saeima deputy, government minister and advisor.
