17.10.2026 20:50
Ekrem İmamoğlu, who concluded his defense with the words of Hazrat Ali, also brought to the courtroom a memory he had with his mother on the fourth day of the İBB Trial with 436 defendants. Describing a visit to a cemevi that he made together with his mother after entering politics, İmamoğlu recounted his mother’s words that day: “They don’t say Amen, they say Allah Allah, it was nicer.”
Ekrem İmamoğlu completed his defense, which he had been presenting for four days in the 436-defendant İBB case. At the hearing held in Silivri, İmamoğlu touched upon social unity and respect for different faiths, and also recounted a memory from a cemevi he visited with his mother after entering politics.
HE CONVEYED HIS MOTHER’S WORDS
In his defense, İmamoğlu mentioned the “Council of the Forties” in Alevi culture and stated that this understanding reflects the idea of equality and unity. İmamoğlu then recounted his visit to a cemevi with his mother and shared the words his mother said that day.
İmamoğlu said, “One day during the month of Muharram, I was going to go to a cemevi, and I told my mother, ‘You will come with me too, mother.’
‘My boy, I am fasting,’ she said. ‘Okay, we will eat lokma there, and people there are fasting too,’ I said. ‘You don’t say,’ she said.
We went with my dear mother. People broke their fast, prayers were said. We left and got into the car; do you know what my mother’s first words were?
‘My boy,’ she said, ‘they don’t say Amen, they say Allah Allah, it was nicer,’ she said. I liked my mother’s description so much.” he said.
HE COMPLETED HIS FOUR-DAY DEFENSE
In the case heard at the Istanbul 33rd Heavy Penal Court, in which 436 defendants including İmamoğlu are being tried, the defense that lasted four days was completed on October 17.
At the end of his defense, İmamoğlu continued his assessments regarding the trial process and ended his speech with the words attributed to Hazrat Ali: “If the oppressor insistently continues his oppression, know that his end is near. If the oppressed also insistently resist, know that victory is near.”