Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu recounts the morning of March 19, when her husband was detained: 'The scene was unbelievable'

Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu, appearing as a guest on Sözcü TV broadcast, described what she has experienced since March 19, what she and Ekrem İmamoğlu discussed during their meetings, as well as her hopes, disappointments, and dreams.

She describedthe atmosphere of the "Family Solidarity Network" meetingsthat shespearheaded.Sharing these details for the first time, Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu also shared what meals she would prepare and what kind of table she would set when her husband, Ekrem İmamoğlu, is released.

SHE RECOUNTS THE MORNING OF MARCH 19

Recounting the morning of March 19,when İmamoğlu wastaken into custody, Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu summarized the events asfollows:

"It was a very difficult morning for all of us; we had woken up to Güven's phone call, and I believe it was around 6 o'clock. He briefly mentioned the incident, and I ran to the window and looked outside;

the scene I saw was unbelievable." (Note: The original text was split across these nodes; this translation reflects the complete sentences.)unbelievable: Hundreds of police officerssurrounded the residence where welived. Iwas very shocked by what I saw. Istanbul Metropolitanthe Metropolitan Mayor's house being surrounded byhundreds of police officers, I cannot find the words to describe what I felt at that moment. It was a very bad, very difficult scenefor us.Actually,

the Istanbul MetropolitanMetropolitanMunicipality Mayor, when summoned to give a statement as a person, ashe had done before, Ekrem İmamoğlu went,gave his statement, and returnedhome.If therewas anything, he could have been summoned to give a statement, he would have given his statement and returned.But what we experienced that day,the pain of thatday,was... the country's shock and thegreat painit felt were unbelievable. Why theydid this,I don't know, but they were likely trying to create a perception operation.

The perception operation did not work. Because Ekrem Everyone knows İmamoğlu; he had a saying, "People will love me as they get to know me," he had said. And in fact, people did love him as they got to know him; the public did not believe in this perception operation.

Since 2019, of course, intermittently, both character assassinations and political bans, such as the 'fool' case, have been amake moveswas. There is a reality that, the Istanbul MetropolitanMayor, a democratically electedmayor, a mbeing removed from office with suchtreatment is one of the last things I could imagine.

"ITISPOLITICALLY, ASWELL AS HUMANLY WRONG" IT WAS A MOVE

"The unjust and unlawful cancellation of the diploma we experienced on March 18: They cancelled the diploma in an irregular manner. That night, just before the end of business hours. This wa huge scandal, I had sensed that perhaps something would happen the next day or a few days later to cover it up. But I never thought that such athing could happen.Ididdid not appear.

Yes, this is too much; because Ekrem İmamoğlu meant 16 million people; Ekrem İmamoğlu meant Turkey. To remove a person with such supportfrom the public in this way from politics meant increasing the public's love for him even more. It was a wrong move, both politically and humanely.

That day, "He will give his statement and come back," I didn'tI did notthinkso; because the treatmentreceived that morning alreadyshowed that it wouldendthis way. Under the poor conditions that lasted four daysdetention, followed by transfer to Çağlayan, and then to Silivri.

"I was going to do a live broadcast, but I couldn't. My hands and feet were shaking. Then I recorded a normal video and said: "I entrust myself to my nation," he said.We shared a video. We sent Ekrem İmamoğlu off by entrusting him to his nation." Before that, wWe sent our daughter off to school, after getting permission from the police. Then we sent Ekrem off to the Vatan Police Headquarters.

It was a difficult day. My daughter went to school in a state ofbewilderment. We sent Ekrem off to the Vatan Police Headquarters. I returned home. Afterwards, of course, our friends came, our companions came. To everyone who supported us, thI would like to thank all myfriends and companions here.I may be describing it briefly, but the weight of the emotions we experienced, that process, an endless day and hours... It was truly a very long day for me.

"WITHASMILEITWASEXHAUSTINGAND THAT IS HOWIT"

Ekrem and I met in 1993. My sister got married in 1993. He came to my sister's wedding, because he was a friend of my older brother. He saw me back then, but I didn't notice him. Lateron, he saw me again, but I still didn't notice him. AfterthatI don't even remember when I tell it. Our family was involved in the textile business in Merter, and Ekrem's restaurant was in Güngören. It was within walking distance. Because he had metmy brother,he had come to the weddingbut he would also stop by my workplace afterward. He would meet with my brotherandseewas and that is how we met.was and that is how we met.met.

Mystrength, in fact, on this path, I have perhaps never personally pursued anything in my life that I did not believe in.anything in my life that I did not believe in.anything I have never pursued anything I did not believe in.Not a single wordescaped mylips. Idraw my strength from ourrighteousness because I am one hundred percent sure that ourcause is just, and our heads are held high. But besides this, theI draw my strength, of course, from the values that democracy and the republic have added to us.I draw it from the people on the street. I draw it from a mother'stears,I draw it from the prayers of an elderly aunt. I draw it from that aunt who says, "My daughter, I am reading this for Ekrem, please take it and let him put it under his pillow.It will be a healing for him."I draw it from that aunt who says, "It will be a healing for him."

On March 23, to determine their own presidential candidate,to the ballot boxalong with the millions who went to the polls, childrenI draw from their solidarity drawings. "Uncle Ekrem, come out soon,we are waiting for you," say the children. I drawfrom them. I drawfrom the youth.I draw it from. By crossing those barricades, Idraw it from the university students who made their cries heardto Turkey.I draw it from the crowds who attend rallies without getting tired, without giving up, and without losing heart. These aretruly very important things. Thankgoodness that while Ekrem entrusted himself to his nation, he was rightIt was. The public is behind him, the crowds neverdiminish. I would also like to note inparentheses: Our people,especially politicians, can never repaythe debt owed to these people.

Very beautiful. They don't want anything. They just want democracy, justice, peace, and to be able tomake a living. Why do we vote for them? So that they govern us well, right?That is exactly what they want.

In theend, I am also a humanbeing. Of course, I feel it. Especially in the first months, it was veryI cried. Isobbed uncontrollably.I cried. There were days when I suffereda psychologicalbreakdown. Even now, Istill cry every now and then.I am crying, because this is a human emotion.

"WE HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO"

Ekrem is notinside becausehe isguilty.He is not. Our country is in this statebecausehe is inside. These two are veryconnected. I am very sad for my country, because we havenowhere else to go. We will fight for this countryand wewe had the strengthto continue thisstruggle.We will. Formy children...Of course, the longing isheavy, that is separate. But why are we experiencing these things? Why is this happening to us?

Yes, this has now become a national issue. With the police coming to our home on the morning of March 19, this matter already became a national issue. If you cannot be happy in thiscountry, then I cannot be happy either. Let us all dream and feel as if we are happy, but there is no such world. This country belongs to all of us. It is the country of86 million people. If86 million people are happy, then this country's futureIf half are happy and half are unhappy… even that fifty percent who feel happyare not actuallyhappy.

"THERE IS CONSTANT COMMUNICATION TRAFFIC"

It is fallingontosocialmedia; someOur friends aresharing food menus and such frominside. Ekrem hasno time to deal with suchthings. In fact, one day I asked, what are youdoing? Are you doing anythinginside? He said, "I have no time at all. I just eat whatever comes."

Outside ofthat, he is workingvery hard.He reads, writes, and draws. He is preparinggovernment programs. He is working inside. He has visits. There is constant traffic for visits.

I frequently encourage him to exercise in the meantime. Because inevitably, after entering, one loses 8-10 kilos. Everyone lost weight; all the maour mayors gave.

When Ekrem was outside, he loved reading poetry very much. He especially used to read poetry to me. Now he iswriting frominside.

My daughter Beren handled the situation with great maturity.was shocked, but did not understand what was happening. Shehas grown up a lot internally; she misses her fathervery much, she criesa lot. And she is a girl child.When she goes to him, when she hugs him, she cries ais crying.

This process will definitely not continue like this, it cannot. For the future of the country,for its destiny,it cannot and should not continue.

Those who support us are increasing. Before the March 19process The IMM, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality was audited 1,300 times, perhaps in a way it has never seen in its history. Truly, you know, the audits, the trials, the investigations, the obligation to be held accountable, the dutythere is.there is.

For Ekrem İmamoğlu and hiscolleagues, suchan interventionto be made one way or another, people understood how and why this was done.

And from that day to this, nine months have passed. And in these nine months, despite the fact that these alleged accusations,smears, and slanders are not based on a single piece of concrete evidence, they continue to smear.

'HIS BIGGEST DREAMIS HIS' TO EMERGE'

That is why the number of peoplewho believe in us isincreasingday by day.

Since the day Ekremcame outI cannot eventhink about it; I mean, my greatest dream is for him to embrace the millions who have not left him alone since March 19.Because that is how it is, these people's effortscannot be repaid. Em

braceWe embrace each other. We embrace together with the childrenthere. Because we are a big family. Ekrem embracedeveryone with these feelings.

And this already reachedeveryone. Therefore,of course, together with millions, weI would like to eat at a large table. But this is not physically possible.There are those kinds of earth tablesor something like that at times.

He loves artichokes very much, and I love them too. He lovesgreen beans very much. And of course, collard green rollsit. I do and prepare all of these. As long as he justcomes back home.

'FAMILY SOLIDARITY NETWORK' PLATFORM

"The Family Solidarity Network is actually a platform established out of necessity. Because this process, in the beginning, affected meas well as others who were naturally affected even more than I was. Because everyone, the eventsmay not be able to cope in the same way. Therefore, we needed to support each other, and Ifelt the need to establish such a platform.Thefamilies of the detaineesinside. Thereare about 100 peopleinside, I am not entirely sure right now.

Now, the most from senior executives to municipal mayors, from their driversto bureaucrats... there are many people inside. And because these people are inside,they can only receive one-third of their salaries. First of all, these familiesare experiencing financialhardship. In fact, at one pointthey were struggling to make ends meet. In fact, at one pointthey were struggling to make ends meet. In fact, at one pointthey were struggling to make ends meet. In fact, at one point it was very difficult.

The book "Entrusted to the Nation" wasreleased; weuse allsales proceeds to address the grievances of those who have been victimized in this family...to resolvewe are experiencing.

There is a material and moral dimension to this: For instance, there are families whose sons were takenin order to forcethem to becomeconfessors becausetheir father is inside. In other words, there are families whose children are being heldinside for no reason. There are families whose relativesare being held due to quotas.There are otherpeople inside, there are relatives.

This oppression hurts me the most. I mean, it hurts me deeply when family members are taken hostage in this family matter. It hurtsa lot. Secondly, especially the womto them, to whom Iexpress mygratitude from here. I thank them from here forstanding firm and upright inside,fortheirresilience."