İmamoğlu unveils his roadmap: A striking jab at Erdoğan! 'I have zero fear...'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is preparing to enter the March 23 primary election—where the CHP will determine its presidential candidate—as the sole candidate, made significant statements ranging from his roadmap to his election campaign.

Speaking to Sözcü, İmamoğlu said, "I know how arduous, contentious, conflict-ridden, and even unpredictable this journey will be, and that the government will show all the ruthlessness it can muster. I am entering this race knowing this, and I am aspiring to it."

"I HAVE MANY UNIVERSITY FRIENDS"

İmamoğlu, "He wasn't the goalkeeper, I was the goalkeeper... And I have many university friends" made a jab at AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with these words.

Highlights from İmamoğlu's statements are as follows:

I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF

I am very confident in myself regarding this matter. I believe that with determined process management, this will not suffer any weakness. But as I said, I am not describing a paved road to anyone. I have zero fear or anxiety. However, it is certainly a journey that must be navigated with a high sense of caution, by taking measures and directing efforts accordingly. 

We must design such a preparation that it should be a general election preparation unlike anything Turkey has seen in its history. Because this general election preparation is not just about winning an election. It is also a preparation to change a system, a regime, that we are facing.

HOW WILL THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN BE CONDUCTED?

It will be a very strong campaign. First of all, the preparation is very important. Let us state this: It is not as if we are starting our preparations today. Once the identity of the presidential candidate is established as of March 23, the relations with the opposition bloc will begin, where I will propose a mechanism to set up the first table, share views, and receive feedback starting from early April. 

Therefore, an opposition bloc effort will be formed on a very rational basis. Within the opposition bloc, there will be an exchange of views, especially on Turkey's policies. The issue will have been moved to a more inclusive field.

DOES HE WANT TO SEE ERDOGAN AS AN OPPONENT?

I am not interested in who the opponent will be on that day. But it is clear that the current opponent is Mr. Erdogan. What kind of opponent is Mr. Erdogan? We are facing a personality who designs efforts to eliminate opponents he does not want and views this as a right of political strategy.

DIPLOMA CONTROVERSIES

It is a matter that will go down in Turkey's history. It is very funny, absurd. And of course, I am also following with sadness how certain institutions are being used as tools in this affair. Erdogan is the founder and owner of the current regime. All three of the things I mentioned are exactly what we want to change. This move is also exactly his style. In that regard, I hope there will be some statements made by our friends legally tomorrow. Everything will be placed before them in the most serious legal manner, complete and without any missing documentation.

IS THERE ANY COMMON GROUND WITH ERDOGAN?

I do not have any personal acquaintance with him regarding his private life anyway. But I can say that in our political lives, we have almost no similarities. If we did, I would say so. Perhaps we could say that we both played football. He was not a goalkeeper. I was a goalkeeper. Also, I have many friends from university.