İmamoğlu addresses Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks in court: Reacts to 'not a political prisoner' claim

Imprisoned Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor and CHP presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu appeared before the judge at the first hearing of the 'misconduct in office' trial concerning his time as Mayor of Beylikdüzü.

The case is based on allegations that during his tenure as Beylikdüzü Mayor, İmamoğlu used a vehicle belonging to his own company as an official car, and that the vehicle's maintenance and fuel expenses were covered by the municipality. The indictment prepared by the Büyükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office seeks prison sentences ranging from 6 months to 2 years for the defendants, including İmamoğlu.

Beginning his defense by stating that he finds the trial 'wrong,' İmamoğlu noted that he has attended his 100th hearing in the last 6 months. Describing the process against him as 'one of the political cases born as part of a judicial attack,' İmamoğlu expressed his discomfort with the low level of public trust in the judiciary.

Stating that he views the concept of office as a 'temporary duty given by the nation,' İmamoğlu said, 'Office is a temporary duty given by the nation; those who come by election leave by election.' Saying that he does not define the mayorship through large office rooms and long convoys, İmamoğlu also criticized those who have expectations from office and those who 'make people kiss their hands.'

DEFENSE REGARDING VEHICLE EXPENSES

Providing an explanation regarding the vehicle in question, İmamoğlu argued that he saw the cost of the vehicle options offered by the municipality and subsequently allocated his own vehicle for the municipality's use free of charge. Stating that a protocol was made for this use, İmamoğlu said that fuel was purchased for his vehicle twice from the municipal account and tires were purchased once.

İmamoğlu explained that the expenses in question were identified later and that his company paid the amount, which exceeded 400,000 liras with interest in 2025, to the municipality. Stating that he is being tried over approximately 20,000 liras in fuel expenses, İmamoğlu said that there were 15 official vehicles when he took office, and that he restricted the use of these vehicles and allocated them to units in need.

In his defense, İmamoğlu also touched upon the 2019 election process, alleging that it was documented that 42 vehicles were allocated to his rival Binali Yıldırım by the İBB. Furthermore, arguing that İBB vehicles were allocated to the Presidency, security details, and close family members before 2019, İmamoğlu stated that decisions of non-prosecution were issued regarding those cases.

In his statements at the hearing, İmamoğlu also responded to Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's remarks about him. Reacting to Kılıçdaroğlu's statement that he does not see İmamoğlu as a 'political prisoner,' İmamoğlu said, 'Although some do not see me as a political prisoner, the mentality that says this is a mentality that measures freedom only by proximity to the palace. In fact, it is a manifestation of a mentality that sees itself as a subject there.'

In an interview with Euronews Turkish on September 8, Kılıçdaroğlu had stated regarding İmamoğlu's imprisonment, 'He is not a political prisoner, he is not a person who has been put inside because of his political views.' Kılıçdaroğlu had argued that İmamoğlu's presidential candidacy and the cases against him should be evaluated separately.

İmamoğlu, in his previous hearing, had also opposed this assessment by Kılıçdaroğlu, saying, 'I am a political prisoner, I am a captive.'