Ekrem İmamoğlu speaks on presidential candidacy

Evaluating the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) fielding a candidate in Istanbul, İmamoğlu said, "They may vote for the DEM Party politically, but in Istanbul, they can also vote for Ekrem İmamoğlu, who they are satisfied with, who distributes 'Annekart' (Mother Cards) to 650 thousand people, and who provides scholarships to 100 thousand young people.

No one can come between their free will and my connection, and I don't think anyone can," he said. İmamoğlu emphasized that the CHP and the DEM Party did not form an alliance, but rather reached an agreement on Esenyurt in the context of a city consensus.

"I DON'T THINK I WAS DISRESPECTFUL"

Explaining why he called the AKP's Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate Murat Kurum an "inexperienced candidate," İmamoğlu said he was not being disrespectful:

"I never think I was disrespectful. The term 'inexperienced' is an observation, not a mockery. He hasn't done his homework well. I don't even think he has an interest in Istanbul.

He isn't confusing the names of the districts; I think he doesn't know them. He has no connection to Istanbul; if you look at his own life history, this is already an established fact, he doesn't. He has no situation regarding his education, his life, the time he spent, etc."

"THE PRESIDENT IS THE ONE ADDRESSING ME"

Emphasizing that he does not consider AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as his interlocutor, İmamoğlu said,

"I do not consider the President as my interlocutor; he is the one addressing me. He calls me 'that person' (zat), 'those people' (zevat); he cannot bring himself to say my name. Because, thank God, if he were to utter the beautiful name my late grandfather gave me—'Ekrem,' which my grandfather gave me because it is the name of Prophet Muhammad—he refrains from it; if he said 'İmamoğlu,' the votes would be gone entirely; he cannot say 'Ekrem İmamoğlu.' He cannot say my name, but he mentions me everywhere, he takes jabs at me everywhere. I respond if I need to," he said.

Emphasizing that they work in harmony with Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel, İmamoğlu said, "First of all, we are in a dialogue that encompasses levels of respect, love, sincerity, dedication, and heartiness that no one could have predicted. There is no one between our Chairman and me. In that respect, I am very pleased and very content. If I need to ask something about a matter, of course, I ask my Chairman," he said.

Stating that his only goal is Istanbul and that he does not want to talk about the 2028 General Elections, İmamoğlu continued as follows:

"Our Chairman (Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu) became our presidential candidate. I claim that I was the one who worked the hardest and put in the most effort. We didn't succeed. Then we said 'change,' what happened? Our Chairman became Özgür Özel. They said he would be a candidate from another party? What happened? I became one from the CHP.

My enthusiasm, my desire, and my dreams for Istanbul would not fit into one or even 100 programs. The only issue I talk about is truly Istanbul.

I see that the next five years will be good in every sense for Istanbul. I want to experience this and make others experience it. There are four years until 2028; talking about that today would be presumptuous on my part."

News Source: 12punto