Striking statement from Ekrem İmamoğlu ahead of local elections: 'They won't sit idle, I hope they don't'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu made significant assessments regarding the local elections on March 31, 2024.

Speaking to İpek Özbey from Sözcü, İmamoğlu reacted to allegations that he personally decided on district candidates in Istanbul, saying, “Is such a thing possible? Look, I am a person who deeply experiences and fosters a culture of common sense and collective decision-making.”

“IS SUCH AN IMPUDENCE POSSIBLE?”

Stating that candidate nominees call him, İmamoğlu said, “I try to listen to all of them. And I share this with the headquarters. If I have identified a higher-level critical issue, I also share it with my esteemed Chairman. But this is their field; that is, it is the field of the Party Assembly, the field of the MYK (Central Executive Board), and the only authorized person here is the esteemed Chairman. Therefore, the mechanism for making decisions is there. Is such an impudence possible? I know my position, and I know the areas within my party that I need to work in and be concerned with. But I do not withhold what I know; I explain, I present, and if I have information that has come to me, I pass it on. This is also my responsibility.”

REPEATED ISTANBUL ELECTIONS

Speaking about the Istanbul elections, which were repeated following AKP's objections, İmamoğlu responded to the question, "Will they bring the difficulties and legal problems you faced in the last election before you again?" as follows:

'THEY EXCEEDED THEIR LIMITS TO THE POINT OF LOOKING AT MY FAMILY'S 30-YEAR-OLD CONSTRUCTION FILES'

"It would be wishful thinking to believe we won't experience them. Of course, it is possible to experience them. I hope we don't. I wish we wouldn't. But unfortunately, we have seen the signs of this recently. The investigations and inspections conducted against us, leaving Istanbul aside and returning to the 8-9 year history of Beylikdüzü, the people who conducted inspections to the point of looking at my family's 30-plus-year-old construction files have exceeded their limits.

'THEY WON'T SIT IDLE, I HOPE THEY DON'T'

We saw commissioned inspectors. The court decision given against us, immediately making an appointment to ensure a judge takes a decision in response to a judge's resilient and fair stance... All of this shows us that they will not sit idle. I hope they don't. Because just as the public delivered a democratic slap after May 6, they will deliver a bigger one in the March 31 elections."

'I AM NOT INTERESTED IN WHAT PERCENTAGE OF VOTES THE AKP HAS IN ISTANBUL'

İmamoğlu also emphasized that there should be a normalization in the reflection of politics on the streets.

"This is a bridge of conscience. I felt this deficiency, I experienced it, I entered their homes. I saw young mothers who could not leave their homes. My feeling is the basis for us giving a 'mother card' to those with children up to the age of four," said the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, adding:

"When I went to those homes, I didn't look at who voted for which party. By the way, this is not a favor; it is what should be. Therefore, I am no longer interested in what percentage of votes the AKP has in Istanbul. Since that mother has that card in her pocket, and the baby has milk to drink, we will meet somewhere someday anyway. Since my childhood, I was raised with the morality that doing good without expecting anything in return is a very good thing. Now I am doing my duty in that way. We will definitely meet with AK Party supporters one day."

"WHETHER IT IS THE ESTEEMED PRESIDENT OR SOMEONE ELSE..."

İmamoğlu responded to criticisms regarding his statements and stance toward the government beyond the municipality as follows:

“We encountered unprecedented interventions. Our property was taken from us, our authority was taken. Our money was not given or our money was seized; we experienced things that shouldn't happen. Now, isn't it necessary to show resistance against these, and to display the depth and philosophy of not letting one's rights be violated as a person who does not violate the rights of others in front of society? Whether his name is the esteemed President or someone else, if he is doing an injustice, it was necessary to give him an answer within the legal framework and not to back down from this. In other words, I could not do this: Let's be silent, let's not talk, let's just say 'so be it.' I was elected with the great effort of 16 million people, and the people who elected me by going to that second round also placed a great responsibility on me. This was largely related to the city; of course, I am not involved in every issue. But they told me that if there is an injustice in a matter that concerns the city even slightly, you must stand tall against it. And I did that.”

"I DID NOT ASPIRE TO ANY POSITION"

Regarding the comment that “the public has assigned him a presidential mission,” İmamoğlu replied, “I did not say that I aspired to a position in the way you mentioned. I never said that I have such a political journey.” İmamoğlu continued:

“There were moments when we were challenged, but I never said, ‘I will be this.’ I didn't say it in Beylikdüzü, I didn't say it while coming to Istanbul, and I am not saying it now. We have a goal right now, and that is to regain Istanbul's lost years and bring it to the level it deserves as soon as possible. We have a city with tremendous opportunities, but a lot of evil was done with irreversible mistakes; in their own words, they betrayed Istanbul. The journey we have embarked on is a journey to bring a process to Istanbul that eliminates these."

For the full interview, click here.