Ekrem İmamoğlu writes for the Financial Times: 'It has triggered an awakening'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu wrote an article for the UK-based Financial Times from Silivri Prison, where he is currently being held.

İmamoğlu, who was detained during an operation targeting the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on March 19 and sent to the Marmara Closed Penal Execution Institution after being arrested on March 23, made significant remarks in his article titled, "Why Turkey's democratic future matters to the world?"

"MY BEING BEHIND BARS IS NOT A VICTORY"

In his article, İmamoğlu stated, "Putting me behind bars is not a victory for Erdoğan. On the contrary, it has triggered an awakening," expressing that his detention is the result of a political settling of scores.

Key excerpts from İmamoğlu's article are as follows:

"THE MODEL HAS UNRAVELED UNDER ERDOĞAN'S RULE"

"...Since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the path Turkey has followed has offered an intriguing model: a majority-Muslim, secular, democratic republic moving toward modernity. However, under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's 22-year rule, this model has unraveled. Democratic institutions have been eroded, the opposition has been criminalized, and the judiciary has been weaponized. This democratic decay has deepened the economic crisis and spread public despair."

"INSTEAD OF RESPECTING THE GOVERNMENT INCREASED PRESSURE"

"...As public support grew, I announced my candidacy for the presidency. However, instead of respecting this momentum, the government increased its pressure. They filled our administration with investigations and threats to block municipal services. My university diploma, which was issued more than thirty years ago and is required for the presidential office, was arbitrarily canceled. Then, on March 19, four days before my candidacy was officially approved, hundreds of police officers surrounded my home. I was detained along with more than 100 people, including my closest advisors and municipal colleagues, on baseless charges such as corruption and aiding terrorism."

I am writing these lines from a cell in Silivri Prison, where many elected officials, academics, journalists, and activists are also being held. I have been imprisoned based on vague rumors from a handful of so-called 'secret witnesses.' There is no conviction against me. I am a political prisoner."

"IT HAS TRIGGERED AN AWAKENING"

"Putting me behind bars is not a victory for Erdoğan. On the contrary, it has triggered an awakening. The first to take to the streets were students. Hundreds of thousands of people joined in, launching boycotts against media and businesses linked to Erdoğan's patronage networks and organizing grassroots rallies. More than 15 million citizens participated in the open primary held by the CHP to nominate me as its presidential candidate. This is a collective stance for our democratic future..."

"THE EXISTENCE OF A DEMOCRATIC TURKEY IS INDISPENSABLE"

"...Turkey's stability has never been important only for its own citizens. As a country with the second-largest army in NATO, a signatory to the Council of Europe, and a long-standing candidate for EU membership, our political orientation is of central importance for the security of Europe, the transatlantic alliance, and the wider Middle East and Caucasus region. The war in Ukraine has shown how urgent the need for strategic coordination is along this geopolitical arc. Developments in Syria and the ongoing tragedy in Gaza show how quickly instability can spread across borders.

In each of these areas, a democratic and secular Turkey is not just helpful, but essential. As the EU seeks to strengthen itself against growing challenges, the existence of a democratic Turkey is indispensable. A regime that silences its youth, crushes the opposition, and rules through fear will only deepen regional instability..."

"THE PUSHBACK WILL START HERE TOO"

"...For more than two centuries, the Turkish people have fought for constitutionalism, civil representation, and justice, debunking the myth that authoritarianism is Turkey's natural state. Around the world, democratic solidarity is now essential for building our common future. The global wave of democratic backsliding may have started in Turkey. I believe the pushback will start here, too."