İmamoğlu’s response to Kılıçdaroğlu on the ‘dagger’ remark: 'If he thinks he was stabbed in the back...'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu made a statement regarding the 'ekremedit' account, which former CHP Chairman Kılıçdaroğlu claimed was “said to be close to Ekrem Bey,” stating, “It is an anonymous account; I have no knowledge of or connection to it. Trolls cannot exist in my circle.” İmamoğlu also said he did not take Kılıçdaroğlu's statement, "I was stabbed in the back," personally.

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu made important statements regarding the agenda following the 38th Ordinary Congress of the CHP.

Speaking to Sözcü columnist İsmail Saymaz, İmamoğlu said the following regarding the congress;

Stating that the Twitter account named 'ekremedit', which Kılıçdaroğlu mentioned in his interview with Saygı Öztürk, has nothing to do with him, İmamoğlu said, "It is an anonymous account. I have no knowledge of or connection to it. Trolls cannot exist in my circle. I am saddened when such accusations are made. A troll-like concept cannot pass to the right or left of Ekrem İmamoğlu. I do not want to believe that our chairman could have said these words."

When asked, "Did you take the words 'I was stabbed in the back' personally, did you think 'this remark is for me'?", İmamoğlu replied, "I did not take it personally at all. I didn't think about it for a moment. I am a person who tells the deficiency and the mistake to one's face. I am not a fellow traveler who would say, 'I am jumping off a cliff, you jump after me.' I am a fellow traveler focused on winning. If the people he is referring to are such people, if he thinks he was stabbed in the back, it might be one of them. I am not such a person."

'THEN IT IS NOT ME'

Some excerpts from Saymaz's interview are as follows:

- Kılıçdaroğlu said, “Before we could even catch our breath, calls for change began.” 

İmamoğlu: Fine, then let them watch my three-minute video from May 29 again. Of course, I talked about a change, and this was a very normal, necessary call. I came from Ankara to Istanbul without sleeping at all. Because on the evening of May 29, we were going to hold a Conquest celebration at Maltepe Square as the IMM. I cannot hold a celebration with 100 people. I am also inviting people in that video at the same time. The nation is experiencing disappointment and anger. They are asking us, “How could you lose this election?” I already saw that there would be no progress without change. One day later, on the morning of May 30, I called him. I requested an appointment, and we met on June 1 and I openly shared my feelings and thoughts with him. By the way, the claims that the video was prepared in advance are also lies. Look, İsmail Bey, we shot the video right here, under the arbor.

- Kılıçdaroğlu said: “Those who voice calls for change are those who resist change. I dismissed them as well.”

İmamoğlu: Then it is not me.

'I WILL BE BY THE CHAIRMAN'S SIDE'

- It is being discussed in the public that Özel is the chairman, İmamoğlu is the party leader, and there is a de facto co-chairmanship. What do you think?

İmamoğlu: My father sent me a message, he said: “Congratulations. We are struggling as a family to add value to the place we are in, and you are doing this properly. May God help you in your service to your state, your nation, and your party. I am someone who serves. Our party has a chairman: Mr. Özgür Özel. Whoever is in office, I am someone who shows infinite respect for institutionalism, the institution, and the person at the head of the institution. I was the person who said “Change.” Despite that, I was offered the chairmanship of the council. We held the congress without a sound in a place where it was said “many incidents will occur.” I am the happiest person in the world because I saw this respect. Now there is a new chairman at the head of our party. We had a chairman during that period as well. Even though I thought differently, I did not show them disrespect at a single point. Today, with infinite respect, I will support my chairman at the highest level in doing his job. I will be by his side.

'WE HAVE A FRATERNAL BOND'

- How will your relationship be? The term fraternal bond was used. 

İmamoğlu: That is correct. We already have such a bond. A fraternal bond is how you should behave toward a brother who is currently the chairman of a party. First and foremost, it comes with showing respect.

- Akşener said after the congress, “Nothing has changed for us.” She seems to have closed the doors.

İmamoğlu: Both Ms. Meral Akşener and the staff of the IYI Party make decisions by thinking about the future of their state, their nation, Istanbul, and similar cities. I have no doubt. When they think about the future, they decide and implement whatever is right. Therefore, it is not possible for me to interpret it as “The alliance process is over.” It is a process that needs to be discussed.

- Is the change you announced in this garden on May 29 the same as the change that took place on November 5? 

İmamoğlu: Change is not something that will happen completely all at once. It needs time. But at the moment, an important step has been taken at the point I desire, of course. But this is not something that will end all at once. The process will continue.

- Until when?

İmamoğlu: Until our party is in power locally and nationally. When we succeed, we can say that we have achieved real change.

'WE WILL WIN THE IMM AGAIN'

- What is your goal in the local elections? 

İmamoğlu: We will win the IMM again. We are determined to win at least 25 districts in Istanbul. If we can establish the right social alliances, if we can implement the Istanbul Alliance, we can even exceed that. We also have additional goals, of course. The Istanbul performance and momentum we will put forward will reflect positively on all of Turkey. I believe that we will encounter results in Turkey that will surprise people.

- How? 

İmamoğlu: Just as we will protect what we currently have, we will also be ambitious about winning 5-6 metropolitan municipalities.

News Source: 12punto