19.03.2025 21:32
Following the call from CHP leader Özgür Özel due to the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) President Ekrem İmamoğlu, citizens gathered in front of the IBB headquarters in Saraçhane. The area was seen to be packed with people. After İmamoğlu's wife, Dilek İmamoğlu, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel also addressed the crowd gathered in front of the IBB building.
After the call of CHP leader Özgür Özel due to the detention of İBB President Ekrem İmamoğlu, citizens gathered in front of the İBB headquarters in Saraçhane. The area was seen to be packed.
DİLEK İMAMOĞLU SPEAKS: TODAY, THE LAW STATE, JUSTICE, AND DEMOCRACY ARE UNDER CUSTODY
First, Dilek İmamoğlu, the wife of Ekrem İmamoğlu, addressed the crowd gathered in front of the municipality. Here are the highlights from Dilek İmamoğlu's statements: "You have come here today, overcoming obstacles in this cold day. I express my gratitude to all of you. It is not only Ekrem İmamoğlu who was detained this morning. The will of 16 million Istanbulites was detained this morning, the retirees who see the light of day thanks to the City Restaurant, the youth, and the poor who are crushed under the mistakes of the government. Today, we are all under custody. Today, the law state, justice, and democracy are under custody. Today, the hope for a more peaceful, happy, fair, and democratic Republic of Turkey for 86 million people is under custody.
"THE DAY THE GOVERNMENT DETERMINES ITS RIVALS IS THE DAY OUR DEMOCRACY DIES"
I promise you from here that we will never give up, we will not surrender. We will stand together and protect our beautiful homeland, our beautiful Republic entrusted to us by our Ancestor. I ask all of you to be with us in this great conspiracy operation, let’s continue to be together always. Our foreheads are clean, our heads are held high. We do not accept all these accusations, injustices, and lawlessness. Do not accept it; if you do, democracy dies. The day the government determines its rivals is the day our democracy dies. I call out to all CHP members. On March 23, all of you vote. My dear wife entrusted herself to the Turkish nation. With the inspiration we get from a pair of blue eyes, our spirit of struggle will never fade away.
"I ENTRUST EKREM İMAMOĞLU TO ALL OF YOU"
Our love is this beautiful country, the republic, and to walk fearlessly and courageously in the footsteps of our Ancestor. On March 23, our voices must be loud. We will choose the President of this country together. I, Dilek İmamoğlu, entrust Ekrem İmamoğlu to all of you. There is no salvation alone; it is either all together or none of us."
ÖZGÜR ÖZEL SPEAKS
After Dilek İmamoğlu, CHP Chairman Özgür Özel began to address the citizens. Here are the notable statements from Özel's speech: "They could not bend İmamoğlu's arm; they want to break it with the rod of the judiciary. March 19 is a coup attempt. Today, the will of the nation is being attempted to be seized by a judicial coup. The coup attempt against Ekrem İmamoğlu, who has been elected by Istanbulites three times in a row, is a coup attempt against the national will. There is neither corruption nor a terrorist organization. But there are judicial executioners who have come to fabricate a pretext. What would they say? Would they say, 'Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is afraid of Ekrem İmamoğlu's candidacy, that's why we detained him'? The chief prosecutor is just a tool. A prosecutor has requested 25 years in prison for the metropolitan mayor with such unjust accusations and conspiracies since October. We know who ordered this. At night, he hears his own voice: Whoever loses Istanbul loses Turkey.
The one who receives the order has changed. But the one who gives the order has not changed. Nine years ago, when FETÖ wanted to strike a blow to the AKP administrators and the Parliament, what did the nation say? Sovereignty unconditionally belongs to me. If the one I choose is bad, I will change it. Is it fair to do this to İmamoğlu, whose only crime is that he will be the next President?"
Details are coming...