Ekrem İmamoğlu: We will change this system that works for the interests of a handful of people

"My beautiful fellow citizens; they are afraid of the nation, but you are not afraid of anything," said İmamoğlu in the letter he sent to his party's rally in Istanbul's Şişli district, adding:

"You have been resisting tirelessly for months against the mentality that has unjustly and unlawfully imprisoned my brother Resul Emrah Şahan and our other esteemed provincial and district mayors. You are standing tall for the Republic, democracy, justice, and freedom, and you are shouting just like Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation... Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation! Those who try to usurp the nation's sovereignty are dragging our country into an abyss with the economic, political, and administrative crises they have created. As the government moves away from democracy and the rule of law and becomes more tyrannical, the economy becomes impossible to fix. The state is becoming unable to properly provide basic services such as education, health, justice, and security.'

"WE WILL CHANGE THIS SYSTEM"

"We will change this system, which was designed for a single person, has been producing crises since day one, and impoverishes the majority of the nation while enriching a handful of people. We will change this merciless order that works for the interests of a handful of people, not the nation. We will establish a fully democratic regime that will be the guarantee of justice and freedom for everyone, everywhere. We will build a humane and fair order that will bring prosperity and abundance to everyone, where everyone sees each other as equal and equivalent. The goals of this difficult, painful, and arduous path we have embarked upon are very, very great. They are as great as the hopes, aspirations, and dreams of our nation."

"WE WILL SUCCEED WITH THE BROTHERHOOD OF 86 MILLION"

"Against a handful of people, we will succeed with the power of 86 million, with the brotherhood of 86 million. To live freely, happily, and honorably in this heavenly homeland, it will not matter who we are or where we are. On the shores of the Bosphorus... on the banks of the Tigris River... in the steppes of Central Anatolia... in the plains of the Aegean... in the forests of the Black Sea... in the highlands of the Mediterranean, we will share the same possibilities and the same opportunities. By taking ownership of our common values and common responsibilities together, we will share the same life with its joys and sorrows. We will embrace each other and draw strength from one another. Everything will be very beautiful. My faith and trust in my nation are infinite. I love you all very much. Ekrem İmamoğlu. Silivri Prison."