Historic defense by Ekrem İmamoğlu in the Akın Gürlek case: 'I am here because I defeated them 3 times'

An investigation was launched against the CHP's imprisoned presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu regarding his remarks directed at Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek.The investigation was initiated due to his comments.

Regarding Akın Gürlek, "To save even your own children from these treatments, we will rip the mind that governs you out of this nation's consciousness. We will rip it out so that no one shows up at your children's door" said İmamoğlu, leading to the case against him. "targeting individuals who have served in counter-terrorism" and "threatening" a lawsuit was filed seeking up to 7 years and 4 months in prison and a political ban.

İmamoğlu, who presented his defense at the first hearing held on April 11, had his file sent to the hearing prosecutor to prepare the final opinion on the merits.

At the first hearing, the court panel accepted the request of the party with the status of victim to join the case regarding the charges of "threatening" and "insulting", while it rejected the request to join the case regarding the charge of "targeting individuals who have served in counter-terrorism". the request to join was rejected.

İMAMOĞLU WELCOMED WITH APPLAUSE

The second hearing of the case is being held today in the courtroom at Silivri Prison.

The hearing, which began at 10:00 AM, was also attended by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel. As İmamoğlu was brought into the courtroom, he was greeted with a standing ovation from the audience and members of parliament. In support of İmamoğlu, "Turkey is proud of you," "Everything will be very beautiful," and "Welcome, my President" slogans were chanted.

İMAMOĞLU BEGAN HIS DEFENSE BY MENTIONING FERDİ ZEYREK

The hearing began with İmamoğlu's statement against the prosecutor's opinion. 

Beginning his remarks by commemorating the late Manisa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, İmamoğlu said, "I could not be by his side. I prayed, may he rest in peace. He left behind a lesson. Hundreds of thousands of people mourned; he walked into eternity with grace. He entered the hearts of our nation with what he achieved in just 14 months. He revealed the longing of hundreds of thousands of people for an administrator who does not discriminate between you and me." he said.

Touching upon the Israel-Iran conflict that has been ongoing for 4 days, İmamoğlu stated the following:

"Contrary to the words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who said that war is a crime unless it is a necessity, these conflicts are unfortunately being carried out with such a mindset. When democratic oversight disappears in countries, when the desire to keep the government in power prevails instead of representing the people, and when the state system and especially institutions are eroded, the natural result is war and human tragedies."

"I AM HERE BECAUSE I DEFEATED THE MENTALITY THAT SAYS 'WHOEVER WINS ISTANBUL WINS TURKEY' 3 TIMES"

Criticizing the fact that his hearing was held in Silivri instead of Çağlayan, İmamoğlu said, "I come here from the dungeon where I have been held unjustly and unlawfully for approximately 90 days. Why are my colleagues and I being held captive due to these operations that cause great material and moral damage to Turkey and harm its international reputation?" he asked.

"Why is this price being forced upon the country? I will continue to shout the answer to this question, which has nothing to do with the law. I am here because I won elections three times against the mentality that says 'whoever wins Istanbul wins Turkey'" Imamoğlu stated, adding that he is being detained because he stands against the canal project, rent-seeking, and lies, and because he is a presidential candidate.

As reported by Cumhuriyet, İmamoğlu continued his defense as follows:

"Today we are in Silivri. We are before the judiciary in the courtroom inside the Marmara Closed Penal Execution Institution for the second session of the case filed against me. Yet, we should be in Çağlayan. I do not accept being here for the sake of the supreme Turkish judiciary, nor do I accept being tried in this manner; I cannot reconcile it with my conscience. We are here as the result of an operation that causes great material, moral, and international reputational loss to Turkey.

I am asking the question that has no answer but is the clearest one: Why are we in Silivri?"

We are prisoners. We are in a dungeon. The moral cost is heavy, the psychological cost is heavy, and the economic cost is heavy. Not because he said 'I am an economist,' but according to the calculations of those who are truly economists, the cost of this operation is approximately 150 billion dollars. Why is this price being paid while we are drowning in crises?

Why am I a prisoner in Silivri, in this dungeon?

Because we won elections three times against a mentality that says, 'Whoever wins Istanbul wins Turkey.'

Because we are here for practicing populist municipalism that provides equal service to our 16 million people, acting as a partner in the troubles of everyone from the poor to the youth, children, and women, and producing solutions to their problems.

We are here because we practice action-oriented municipalism in subways, infrastructure, urban transformation, and environmental investments.

We are here because we are the guardians of Istanbul and because we said 'no' to rent-seeking and plunder.

I am here because I received the votes of 15.5 million people and earned the strong favor of the nation.

From here, I shout out to our nation once again and ask: Are we being put on trial? No!

We have been held captive for 90 days, some of us for 250 days; we are being subjected to judicial harassment. We are facing psychological torture and the law of the enemy. We are being held prisoner through setups, slanders, perception operations, lies of secret witnesses, and the accusations of people with criminal pasts. This is not a trial; it is direct punishment.

We are not being tried; we are being punished.

This nation has experienced practices unprecedented in Turkish history:

People were taken from their homes at dawn; they were kept in detention for five days, in filth, hungry and thirsty. Our imprisoned friends were threatened by members of the judiciary. They were forced to commit perjury by being threatened with their families and jobs. Dozens of our friends were ruthlessly exiled to distances of 600–700 kilometers. Women were subjected to even greater persecution; they were forced to commit perjury. Lawyers' rights to defense were taken away; they were silenced with confidentiality orders. Young people were kept in prison for months just for protesting.

Unfortunately, mayors representing millions of people, our political companions, and our esteemed bureaucrats are being unjustly and unlawfully punished with imprisonment. While the nation is in hunger and misery, this persecution is being carried out out of ambition for power."

HE CALLED ON MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY

"In this process, my greatest ideal for my country is the vision of a state governed by the rule of law" said İmamoğlu, adding the following:

"However, it should be a state of law that bases justice not only in texts but also in practice. In the file before the judge, it should be evidence, not names; actions, not thoughts; law, not affiliations that are discussed. The defense should be respected as an essential element of the judiciary. No citizen should be afraid while seeking their rights. A person should feel threatened not when they express their opinion, but when they are forced to remain silent. The members of the judiciary who deliver the verdict—that is, the honorable people tasked with ensuring justice—should think and decide independently and impartially, without experiencing any fear or anxiety regarding the decisions they make."

The state of law I envision is a system where justice, not governments, prevails. It is a system that limits the power of political governments, protects the rights of citizens, and makes justice the hope not only of the powerful but also of the weak. I am not the one on trial here today; today, every opposition stance, every democratic gain, and the national will that the government dislikes are being put on trial.

But it must be known that what keeps a country standing is neither military power nor accumulated wealth. The only thing that keeps a country standing is justice, rights, and the law. And in a country where there is no justice, there is no investment, no peace, and no future. There is no prosperity, no abundance, and no wealth. Therefore, this struggle is not just mine; it is the struggle of all the children of this country, our grandchildren, and everyone who wants to see these courtrooms as the home of justice in the future."

"NO CITIZEN OF OURS CAN BE PUNISHED FOR THEIR THOUGHTS"

"It is with this belief, this hope, and for the sake of this ideal that I am resisting," said İmamoğlu, adding the following:

"The judiciary does not become independent just by issuing statements saying 'The judiciary is independent.' Willpower is required for judicial independence. Otherwise, you call someone who does business with 100 institutions a 'gang'; you target 5 CHP members and do not touch the other 95; then you release the person you called a 'gang.' This is not a state of law; it becomes the law of the superior. The legal system I dream of ensures that everyone in this building—from the judge to the lawyer, from the security guard to our party leader—is treated equally, as are their children and grandchildren. None of our children should be taken from their homes in a morning raid. None of our citizens should be turned into enemies because of their thoughts."

As an administrator who loves every person in this country, I am someone who looks at children with a special love and carries a love for humanity in my heart. Our ideal is a youth that is productive, thoughtful, creative, respectful of nature, free from malice, and capable of competing with the world. Our goal is to make all the children of the nation happy with an understanding that does not say, 'Those who are not with me should be eliminated.'"

HE LISTED ALL THE CASES ONE BY ONE

"Yes, I am continuing the struggle. This is not just my struggle or that of my colleagues; it is a great struggle waged on behalf of our nation," said İmamoğlu, as he listed and explained the obstacles placed in his path one by one.

"What I have been through, what I have experienced:

    • The 'Fool' Case: Go ahead and explain, why was the judge changed? Why has it been waiting in the appellate court for 2.5 years?

    • Election Cancellation: How did you accuse the entire people of Istanbul and their will? The ballot boxes and the officials are not guilty, yet the election is cancelled. Then I ask: Who stole it?

    • Büyükçekmece Case: It has been 1,000 days, four hearings have passed, there is no prosecutor, no opinion. What kind of malice is this?

    • Expert Witness Case: The same person is an expert witness in 24 files! They expect us to believe this is a coincidence, a possibility; what kind of intelligence are they mocking, this is belittling this nation. My lawyers filed a criminal complaint, but there is no response. When I explain this injustice to my nation, an ex officio investigation is immediately launched! Is this what the law is?"

"NOW LET'S GET TO THE BIGGEST PROBLEM..."

Using the phrases, "And let's come to the most serious issue: Let's come to the heart of the matter, the crux of the problem, the tentacles of the octopus..." İmamoğlu continued his defense as follows:

"You are canceling my diploma, which is as pure as my mother's milk, for the sake of a seat. You are ruining the lives of 28 other people. The prosecution is stepping in to speed this up! Is this done? The country is burning. The economy has collapsed. The nation is hopeless. Children are crying. But you are still pursuing punishment. My image is banned, my voice is banned, social media is banned... But know that you cannot erase me from the hearts of the nation. Love grows, grows, and grows! A show of force is a sign of weakness."

The weakest state of a government is the moment it arrests its opponents. Would a legitimate government stoop to such oppression? It would not. Charisma is destroyed the moment you use the authority you hold against innocent people. A country does not insist on the wrong path. If it does, this is arrogance. This is called path dependency. Turkey is showing another way. The world and the current situation are calling us in another direction. If we miss this period, it will be a pity for our youth and our future. We will not allow this; this is our concern. This is our concern: 'The religion of the state is justice.' 'Let the people live so that the state may live.' We must walk with these principles."

"GIVE IT UP"

Stating, "Give up on bringing this country to the edge of the abyss!" İmamoğlu concluded his defense with these words:

"Try me and my friends without arrest. Call us, and we will come. We will not be disrespectful, but we also expect respect. While a severe geopolitical fracture is occurring around us that risks spreading to the entire region, and while Turkey is struggling with the political and economic risks created by these fractures on top of its own heavy problems, there is no other way left but to 'strengthen the internal front,' as the government itself puts it."

This country will not be harmed by an environment of mutual compromise, unity, solidarity, and justice. Today, there is no other way for everyone but to stop and think. Either we will change this grim picture, or we will lose our future. The nation is great. This land, this flag, and these offices belong to the nation. Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation."

İMAMOĞLU'S DEFENSE HAS CONCLUDED

IMM Mayor İmamoğlu's 4-page defense has concluded. The hearing was adjourned before the lawyers' statements.

HEARING ADJOURNED

After the break, the court panel returned to the courtroom and announced that it had accepted the request of İmamoğlu's lawyers for time to respond to the prosecutor's opinion. İmamoğlu will not be given the floor again at the next hearing; only his lawyers will present their defense.

The final hearing will be held in Silivri on July 16 at 10:00 AM.

İMAMOĞLU SEEN OFF WITH SLOGANS

The audience saw İmamoğlu off with chants of 'Turkey is proud of you' and 'President İmamoğlu'.

News Source: 12punto