İmamoğlu recounts his political journey: 'Neither espionage, nor funds, nor money...'

CHP presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been imprisoned in Silivri Prison since March 23, has recounted the process from the day he stepped onto the political stage until today, following the indictment prepared against him that demands up to 2,352 years in prison.

İmamoğlu evaluated his political trajectory, which extends from his time as CHP Beylikdüzü District Chair to Beylikdüzü Mayor, then to Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), and finally to his presidential candidacy.

The indictment includes accusations that, starting from his time as Beylikdüzü Mayor, he established a "system" through which he was first elected Mayor of Istanbul, then seized control of the CHP, and finally created funds within the party as a presidential candidate. Responding to these allegations, İmamoğlu stated: “I did not become a candidate through any candidacy plan, espionage, funds, money, or methods unknown to us but learned from the minds and malicious thoughts of those who wrote the indictment; rather, I became a candidate through the favor of the nation, the primary election, the members, the party supporters, and our party administrators. How many people in history have experienced this honor, this joy, and this pride? A mind enslaved by nepotism that has not experienced this pride, a mentality that views democracy as a vehicle to be boarded and disembarked, cannot understand this.”

In the continuation of his message, İmamoğlu added: “Those who feed on chaos and crises can never touch the bond of affection we have established with the nation. No one can prevent the government of this noble nation, which loves with its heart and protects its country with its intellect and morality. The time has come to be the guardians of Turkey!”

Here is the article İmamoğlu wrote for the Karar newspaper:

"To be a candidate?

To be nominated?

Is politics a matter of funds and money? Or is it about winning hearts?

From the very first moment I entered politics, my only goal was to serve the people and enter the hearts of our nation. Winning hearts is more valuable than winning elections. In the first interview I gave during my 2019 candidacy, I said, “They will love me more as they get to know me.” Because for me, the most important thing is to love and be loved.

I want to tell you how I committed myself to this path I set out on to love, to be loved, and most importantly, to provide the service that is the right of the nation.

I became a member of the CHP in 2008. I wanted to serve Beylikdüzü, where my home and workplace are, and where I have lived for about 17 years. With the encouragement of my close circle, I applied for candidacy from my party for better local governance. Upon the decision of the headquarters, a different companion was nominated, and unfortunately, we lost the election. However, the dreams we built for Beylikdüzü never faded.

In September 2009, the late Deniz Baykal conveyed through the late M. Ali Özpolat, and then through Bihlun Tamaylıgil and Akif Hamzaçebi, that he wanted me to be the District Chair. I accepted the offer. In September 2009, I became the CHP Beylikdüzü District Chair.

In July 2013, I resigned from my position as district chair with the support of our party's district administration, women's branches, youth branches, and neighborhood heads in Beylikdüzü, where I was serving, as they wanted me to be the mayoral candidate. I applied for the mayoral candidacy with an enthusiastic gathering. We insistently requested that a primary election be held in Beylikdüzü; we always wanted to carry the CHP's internal party democracy will further. After I came in 1st place with great favor, participation, and vote support in the primary election held, my party nominated me. In the last general election, I won the Beylikdüzü mayoral election with 51% in my district, where the AK Party had 43% and the CHP had 39% of the votes. Beylikdüzü was the only district we won from the AK Party in Istanbul.

When we reached 2017, without any reason being explained, just like in many cities in Turkey, the late Kadir Topbaş was made to resign from his post in Istanbul with the agenda of “metal fatigue.” Upon this, the General Chair, Mr. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, held a meeting in Istanbul and declared that he would field a candidate from the IMM Assembly Group. He had a vote held on who we should nominate in the Assembly Group. I did not aspire to this duty in any way. I cast my vote. The Provincial Chair and MYK members took the cast votes and left the hall with the General Chair. After the voting held at a hotel in Ataşehir, I set off for Beylikdüzü. We had moved 1 km away when my phone rang, and Provincial Chair Cemal Canpolat called me back to the hotel, saying that Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu wanted to speak with me. I returned immediately and went up to the General Chair's room.

Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu; in the room where the provincial chair and MYK members were present, asked me to represent our party in this election to be held in the IMM Assembly. He also added that he wanted me to make a speech explaining our goals regarding Istanbul with social democratic municipalism and Beylikdüzü experiences. The result of the election to be held in the assembly was clear. Because the AK Party was far ahead in the number of assembly members. I thanked the General Chair, left there, and immediately started my work. I made my presentation in the assembly and specifically stated these sentences: “May God not grant this assembly and us another mayor who has to leave by being forced to resign, and may He not grant another election to be held in this assembly.” Unfortunately, after Kadir Topbaş, who was forced to resign in 2017 and passed away in 2021, the same mentality had the new IMM Assembly hold another election with the coup attempt it carried out through the judiciary in March 2025. When we add the 2019 election cancellation, the same mentality cast a black stain on Istanbul and the country's democracy for the third time. Those who said “We betrayed Istanbul” persistently continued to betray this ancient city. As they betrayed this city, our determination to work always increased.

Months before the 2019 local elections, starting from the first months of the summer of 2018, 3-4 administrators from the headquarters conveyed to me that I was one of the names Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu had in mind for the IMM candidacy. I just listened. At the end of the summer of 2018, Istanbul Provincial Chair Ms. Canan Kaftancıoğlu said that she wanted to convey a message from the General Chair. I visited her. She conveyed that Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu wanted me to be the IMM candidate, and that they were conducting surveys and public opinion research on what kind of candidate they should field in Istanbul. She stated that in these studies, they were questioning the candidate's character, typology, and some sought-after features rather than names. She conveyed that the results pointed to me. I thanked her and stated that this candidacy had historical importance, that I wanted to listen to these studies, that I would also conduct some research, and that it would be good for us to decide on the most correct and winning candidate together after that. Of course, I had many question marks. Later, with the organization of Ms. Kaftancıoğlu, we held meetings with the people on the research team. We shared our mutual presentations and the findings we made. Afterwards, we met with the General Chair at the Headquarters in Ankara. He offered me the IMM mayoral candidacy. I asked him for some time, stating that I wanted to share this process with both my family and my political companions and make a decision accordingly. He gave me this opportunity, and I left his office.

With the knowledge of the Provincial Chair, I held separate meetings with provincial administrators, district chairs, mayors, the IMM assembly group, women's branch chairs, and youth branch chairs. I asked for their opinions and support. I was met with overwhelming support. After these meetings, I also held emotional meetings with my companions in Beylikdüzü. It was time for the hardest part of the job: My family. Because before the 2014 local election, my wife and I had agreed that I would serve as Beylikdüzü Mayor for at most 2 terms, and if I lost the election, I would quit politics. That was how I got my family's permission. In fact, when I told this decision of mine to a business person who is a very close friend of mine from Trabzon, he said, “Politicians don't quit politics, I don't believe this,” so I wrote these words on a white piece of paper, signed it saying I commit to it, and gave it to him. He had put this paper in his safe. When I asked him for it years later, he said, “Oh, don't even ask, it would have been a very valuable document, but when you won the election in Beylikdüzü, I tore that paper up and threw it away.” Therefore, I could not convince my family, especially my wife. My wife did not want me to be the IMM candidate. Sensing this psychological environment, Ms. Kaftancıoğlu spoke with the General Chair and conveyed that she wanted to visit our home. We hosted them as a family. Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu mentioned the importance of me being a candidate for Istanbul and proposed that we set out together with the support of my family. My family's moral support was very precious, and I cared about this support very much. When my family approached this proposal of the General Chair positively, albeit with some difficulty, we decided to set out. Yes, in this difficult struggle and duty process, I set out by making peace with my family, hugging each other, and a bit with my family's tears. Afterwards, with the MYK proposal and PM approval, I became the CHP's IMM Mayoral Candidate for the 2019 election.

I won the election on March 31 with a margin of 13,600 votes. They decided to renew the election by trampling on the national will. I won the election, which was canceled on May 6, on June 23 with a margin of 806,000 votes. As those in power interfered with democracy, our nation embraced us more. Months before the 2024 local elections, Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu had announced without ever speaking to me that I would be nominated again in 2024. After this announcement in the autumn of 2023, with the announcement of my candidacy by the PM decision of Mr. Özgür Özel, who was elected general chair after the November 2023 congress, I became the IMM mayoral candidate again in the March 2024 elections.

I won the March 31, 2024 elections with a margin of 1 million 100 thousand votes. Finally, with the decision to hold a primary election for our party's presidential candidacy as promised at the 2023 congress, I announced my decision to be a candidate in the primary election. The most important thing that caused me to make this decision was the demand of our nation. I loved them, they loved me. I was elected in the primary election with the votes of 2 million party members and a total of 15.5 million citizens. Afterwards, with the approval of the entire TBMM Group and the PM, I became the CHP's presidential candidate in the upcoming general elections. At the same time, after the March 19 civil coup, my presidential candidacy was riveted with the signatures of nearly 25 million of our nation.

As you can see, I did not become a candidate through any candidacy plan, espionage, funds, money, or methods unknown to us but learned from the minds and malicious thoughts of those who wrote the indictment; rather, I became a candidate through the favor of the nation, the primary election, the members, the party supporters, and our party administrators. How many people in history have experienced this honor, this joy, and this pride? A mind enslaved by nepotism that has not experienced this pride, a mentality that views democracy as a vehicle to be boarded and disembarked, cannot understand this.

I am someone who has won the love of the nation, entered its heart, and set out knowing the sanctity of the place in the great heart of our 86 million citizens whom I love with all my soul.

Our aunts and mothers who told me the right path, “Your clean heart will win the election, my child”; our uncles who said, “May your good heart never spoil, may your love for people never diminish,” taught me. Our youth who made the earth and sky resound by shouting “everything will be very beautiful” showed me the right path. I am a traveler on this sacred and beautiful path. I will never give up. I know that our noble nation will not give up either. The determined journey of those who are clean-hearted, good-natured, who do not eat rights but do not let their rights be eaten, towards days full of republic, democracy, justice, peace, tranquility, and prosperity continues. No one can stand in the way of the people's candidacy.

Those who feed on chaos and crises can never touch the bond of affection we have established with the nation.

No one can prevent the government of this noble nation, which loves with its heart and protects its country with its intellect and morality.

The time has come to be the guardians of Turkey!"