Breaking News: First statement from İmamoğlu following detentions! This is how he addressed Erdoğan

Detention warrants were issued for 53 people in the second wave of operations targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB).

In this context, 48 people, including İBB Deputy Secretary General Arif Gürkan Alpay, İSKİ General Manager Şafak Başa, İSKİ Deputy General Manager Begüm Çelikdelen, İBB Head of Zoning and Urbanization Department Ramazan Gülten, as well as İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s Chief of Staff Kadriye Kasapoğlu and Gözdem Ongun, the wife of Medya A.Ş. executive Murat Ongun, were detained in operations conducted at their homes.

İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is currently detained at Silivri Prison, issued a statement following the detention of his colleagues.

Addressing AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, İmamoğlu asked, "What happened? Couldn't you fill your empty file? Did you fall into the trap of those who told you 'the big radish is yet to come, the tail of the ox is yet to be pulled'? Were you deceived again?"

The statement released from İmamoğlu's X account is as follows:

What happened? Couldn't you fill your empty file? Did you fall into the trap of those who told you 'the big radish is yet to come, the tail of the ox is yet to be pulled'? Were you deceived again?

My Dear Nation;

Today, many of my colleagues, as well as İBB and İSKİ executives, were detained once again in a dawn raid. A handful of ambitious people; disregarding the nation's money, title deeds, diplomas, dignity, and future, have set out to fill empty files with lies and slander.

While 16 million Istanbulites are trying to live with the anxiety of an earthquake, their only concern is to hand out the blessings of Istanbul and the country.

May God protect this noble nation from their wrath.

My Dear Citizens;

Under these conditions, there is no peace, no security, and no prosperity for our country and our nation.

Know that the friends who have been detained are the guardians of Istanbul who fight against illegal construction in Istanbul, protect Istanbul against rent-seeking, and work day and night to prepare our city for a possible major earthquake. These patriotic people are the ones who filed lawsuits to stop the Kanal Istanbul project, which is a project of betrayal, and who issued demolition orders for unlicensed buildings to prevent attempts that would leave Istanbul without water.

Those who have turned the judiciary into a tool are continuing to betray the nation with new operations, blinding themselves to remove obstacles for whoever they have marketed Kanal Istanbul to.

Whatever they do, it is in vain. I said it clearly, but they did not understand. Let me remind you once again: "You think you are reducing us one by one, but we are growing by the millions!"

Let it be known very clearly that I will defend all my fellow travelers to the end in this process. No one will be left behind. These days will pass. This nation will eventually send home those who have made injustice and lawlessness their method.

My Dear Nation;

I invite you, the esteemed Chairmen of our political parties, members of the high judiciary, and everyone to take responsibility and fight together against those who are rotting our state.

Our nation is great.

Ne oldu? Boş dosyanı dolduramadın mı? Sana “turbun büyüğü, dananın kuyruğu”diyenlerin tuzağına mı düştün? Yine mi aldatıldın?

Aziz Milletim;

Bugün yine bir şafak baskınıyla birçok çalışma arkadaşım, İBB ve İSKİ yöneticileri gözaltına alındılar. Bir avuç muhteris; milletin…

— Ekrem İmamoğlu (@ekrem_imamoglu) April 26, 2025

News Source: 12punto