İmamoğlu speaks on primary elections and legal cases against him

The process for determining the presidential candidate within the Republican People's Party (CHP) has begun. All eyes are on the primary election scheduled for March 23, as announced by CHP Chairman Özgür Özel.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu made statements regarding the primary election and the ongoing legal process involving him.

Speaking to Saygı Öztürk from Sözcü, İmamoğlu defined the primary as a "democracy revolution" and noted the following:

"The candidates will likely be finalized by next week. After that, God is merciful," he said. Stating that a date of April 11 has been set for the hearings of three separate cases filed against him, İmamoğlu added, "I do not intend to attend any of them. Unless there is a requirement, our lawyers will provide the necessary defense. I suppose they were afraid that if the dates were separate, tens of thousands of people would flock there and they wouldn't be able to handle it, so they thought, 'Let's split them into three.'"

Here are the highlights from the statements made by İmamoğlu to Sözcü columnist Saygı Öztürk:

PRIMARY ELECTION STATEMENT

I describe it as a 'democracy revolution.' The most important celebration is that such a democracy revolution is being carried out by our party. The candidates will likely be finalized by next week. After that, God is merciful.

DEMAND FOR POLITICAL BAN

If we look at these threats, the effort to see what lies ahead truly blinds you. Even before my 2019 candidacy, these things were being discussed. Since then, cases have never been absent from our lives. They couldn't find anything, so they stood before us with a fabricated case. These do not break my concentration. Do they steal my time? They inevitably do.

CASES AGAINST HIM

Look, they have scheduled 3 cases for the same day (April 11). If a person wanted to attend their own trial, they have presented us with an impossibility. I am in a situation where I am being tried with cases that destroy the presumption of innocence, shatter the judicial order and system, and which we would say, 'Such a case could never happen.' I do not intend to attend any of them. Unless there is a requirement, our lawyers will provide the necessary defense. I suppose they were afraid that if the dates were separate, tens of thousands of people would flock there and they wouldn't be able to handle it, so they thought, 'Let's split them into three.'

LOSS OF REPUTATION

The media is also in a difficult situation. There are restrictions, arrests, and pressures. None of these are of any benefit to our country. When we look at the international community, each of these actions is a loss of value, a loss of reputation. As long as this continues, the economy in the country will not truly improve, inflation will not fall, and poverty will grow. Let us struggle in an honest and transparent manner. Let the nation make its decision accordingly. I invite the government to act with integrity, and I will continue to do so.

CLAIMS OF CHANGING THE SHADOW CABINET

None of these are on our agenda right now. We haven't even announced our candidacy yet. In this process, we desire a transparent period that describes what has happened in a very orderly and disciplined way. These issues are not discussed today. Our party still has a primary election and a party program congress ahead of it. Immediately after the candidate is determined, there will be meetings with opposition parties, opposition actors, and NGOs. I have a vision of a future Turkey that will be shaped by a participatory model. There will be inclusive staffing efforts that will prepare for a period where a strong parliamentary system and a strong separation of powers order will be formed in the future. While all of this is going on, I find it very intentional to talk about topics like a shadow cabinet, that is, to voice thoughts that have never been on the table.

News Source: 12punto