Ekrem İmamoğlu responds to the question 'Will you be a presidential candidate?'

There are only a few days left until the local elections. Istanbul is at the top of the list of cities where the outcome of these critical elections is most anticipated.

CHP's candidate for re-election on March 31, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, made evaluations regarding the upcoming local elections.

Speaking to İklim Öngel from Cumhuriyet, İmamoğlu drew attention to the ministers who are mobilizing for his rival Murat Kurum, saying, “The Vice President is campaigning in Istanbul. The President will also come in the last 2-3 days of the election.”

"THE ISTANBUL ALLIANCE WILL TURN INTO A NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR A HAPPY TURKEY"

İmamoğlu shared his predictions regarding “how the result of the Istanbul election will affect Turkey’s political future” as follows:

“In these elections, we will vote for a bright, smiling, rational Istanbul, a management that knows what it is doing, does not lie to its people, and looks out for 16 million, not a handful of people. This is a very important stage for the realization of this Istanbul alliance. But the period when the Istanbul alliance will truly show itself will be after the election. After the election, this square will continue to grow. The Istanbul alliance will turn into a national alliance for a happy, equal, and prosperous Turkey. We will build Turkey’s future together. The Istanbul alliance is an alliance to build our future together and to realize our dreams. We have big dreams. A developed, happy, and equal Istanbul and Turkey. With nature that smells wonderful, streets that are spotless, and people who are smiling and cheerful...”

"WE NEED TO SECURE A MAJORITY IN THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL"

Stating that his biggest goal in these elections is to secure a majority in the municipal council, İmamoğlu noted the following;

“As you know, candidates of parties that cannot pass the 10 percent threshold cannot become council members. For us to secure a majority in the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Council, we need to both increase the number of district municipalities we hold and increase the votes the CHP will receive across Istanbul. If the concept we call the Istanbul alliance succeeds in securing a council majority, this will be a crowned success. I wholeheartedly believe that we will do this.”

WILL HE BE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN 2028?

Touching upon AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remark that 'This is my last election,' İmamoğlu said, "He said it correctly."

Responding to the question, "Are you a candidate in the next presidential election?", İmamoğlu stated, “I have such strong and big dreams for Istanbul that I have no other dream than the dream of realizing them. Planning is important, but it is not only humans who make plans. Life has its own plans as well. It does not make sense to me to comment today on an event that will happen 4 years from now.”