ISTANBUL (Anka) – Dilek İmamoğlu, wife of jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, discussed her husband’s entry into politics, mayoral candidacy, and arrest on March 19th, 2025.
Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu, the wife of imprisoned Istanbul mayor and main presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, spoke on her husband’s YouTube channel about his entry into politics, his mayoral candidacy, election victory, and the events of March 19th, 2025.
Dilek İmamoğlu’s video was shared on the imprisoned mayor’s social media accounts with the caption: “My beloved wife Dilek has been one of the most supportive people in my struggle for democracy and justice. Thank you for being there, Dilek.”
“I never wanted Ekrem to enter politics”
Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu said the following regarding Ekrem İmamoğlu’s entry into politics in Beylikdüzü, a western suburb of Istanbul:
“Ekrem was the manager of a construction company in Beylikdüzü. It was his family business. At that time, Ekrem had some problems with the then-mayor. To resolve these issues, he contacted many people, trying to overcome these problems. In this way, both his business activities and personal relationships helped him reach a certain point. I never wanted Ekrem to enter politics. Because in our country, if you want to do politics honestly and without compromising your principles, it’s very difficult. I congratulate those who do it honestly and without compromising their principles. But it’s really hard to do politics in this country. We had children, a stable life, a family, and a beautiful family life. I didn’t want politics to disrupt and destroy that.
“Ekrem also received offers from other parties.”
Ekrem told me: ‘I didn’t have any intention of entering politics outside of the Republican People’s Party (CHP).’ Ekrem received a phone call from a senior party member in Ankara, who said, ‘We want to appoint you as the district chairman.’ He thought about this district chairmanship for a few days. Then he came back again. He said, ‘Okay, I accept.’ He took over the position from our previous district chairman. He served as district chairman for two years. Then he was elected district chairman in the following election. His district chairmanship saw great support.”
“He created an environment in Beylikdüzü where the CHP could win”
“During his four-year term as district chairman, incredible work was done in Beylikdüzü. We went to every neighborhood, every house, every street, even the neighborhoods we couldn’t reach before. He truly created an environment in Beylikdüzü where CHP could win. Of course, he then ran for district mayor. We had a few other prospective candidates. Ekrem became the mayoral candidate with a significant lead over the others. We won with a great election campaign, and he started serving Beylikdüzü as district mayor.”
“I really didn’t want him to run for mayor of Istanbul”
“I really didn’t want him to run for mayor of Istanbul. It caused me incredible unease. I was concerned about my children and I didn’t want them to suffer or be harmed on this journey.
I also felt that nominating the district mayor of Beylikdüzü for the Istanbul mayoralty just three months before the election was a great risk, but Ekrem reassured me we’d figure it out.”
“Despite all the obstacles, he fulfilled 80% of his promises.”
“In the five-year period starting in 2019, I think he fulfilled 70-80% of all the campaign promises he made. He always says, ‘I don’t have any very big projects or promises.’ “I will have projects like building nurseries and giving scholarships.” And he did it; he built the subway, he built the nursery, he gave scholarships, he built dormitories, he gave Mother Cards to mothers with children aged 0-4. Despite all the obstacles, he fulfilled 80% of his promises.”
“My hands were shaking so much that day, I couldn’t even open a live stream on my phone.”
Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu described the morning of March 19, 2025, in which her husband was arrested by Turkish police:
“It was a terrible morning for all of us. I was in shock. Ekrem was getting ready. I was helping him. In the meantime, I picked up the phone. Because we had to do something. The idea of recording a video came to mind. Actually, I was going to do a live stream, but my hands were shaking so much that I couldn’t even manage; I couldn’t find the buttons. Instead I recorded a normal video. Ekrem got up very calmly, took a shower, and got ready. As you all saw while I was recording that video, he said, ‘I entrust myself to my nation.’ Because his nation brought him there. And he left entrusting himself to his nation.”
“After the arrest, our lives also entered a new phase.”
“After the arrests, our lives, along with those of our children, entered a new phase. Our visits with Ekrem at Silivri prison became event days with our children. We have permission to visit once a week and it has become our routine. And we only have 10 minutes of phone time per week. When the children come home from school we gather together and use our phone time. 10 minutes. It’s a difficult process.”
“Putting such a devoted person to his country, his nation, his homeland behind bars is a nightmare.”
“On March 23rd the ruling was made that Ekrem would be sent to prison. They took him to Silivri. Then, I remember going for the first time with the children. I’m not sure how many days later it was. My son and I looked at each other. I want to describe this feeling because it’s very important. A person who has focused solely on serving his country is behind bars. My son Selim and I looked at each other thinking ‘Is this a joke? Is this real?”
“When I left Ekrem there, I left my other half behind.”
“It was a very difficult day for me. It was the first time in my life I’ve visited a prison. It was the first time in our lives that our family had been subjected to such treatment. I’m not talking about my immediate family, my nuclear family, but our extended family.
It was a very difficult day for me. We went and we hugged Ekrem. Of course, there was a lot of crying and emotion. An hour passed, and we were about to leave. It was all like a nightmare. Some of the emotions you experience can’t be put into words. When you pour it out, it gains meaning as much as a word. Actually, it’s not enough; that word isn’t enough to describe the feeling. Mine is exactly like that. I can’t describe the feeling I experienced. When I left Ekrem there, I left my other half behind.”
“You cannot fabricate crimes from an institution that has been inspected thousands of times.”
“Perhaps they tried to pass this off as a ‘corruption operation’ to the public, but they failed. This was a political operation, and the public saw it. It’s a political operation because it’s been a year, 12 months. Despite all the slander, they couldn’t find a single piece of evidence to support their accusations. Because there isn’t any. You can’t fabricate charges against an institution that has been inspected thousands of times. Therefore, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the bureaucrats, and his colleagues are currently being held captive inside based on unjust, unlawful, and baseless accusations. They are all political prisoners.”
“Now, I actually want to ask this question: If we are fighting for a country here, our demands are clear. We want justice, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and the protection of every individual’s rights. We want poverty to end. We want education to improve. We want production. We want prosperity in the country. We want people to be peaceful and happy. Which of these desires constitutes a crime? The answer is: “None.”
“Why all this animosity, why all this polarization?”
“Isn’t the important thing the 86 million people living in Turkey? Isn’t the important thing the happiness of the people from Edirne to Erzurum, from Antalya to Trabzon? Isn’t it their peace and prosperity? Ekrem was working for this. So what do you want? What are you striving for? Why all this animosity, all this polarization?
Now a national struggle is being waged; this struggle is the struggle of 86 million people, the struggle of the country, and the struggle of a country founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and entrusted to us; we are waging a struggle for the Republic.”
Wife of jailed Istanbul mayor: “I never wanted him to be a mayoral candidate” | Written/translated by Leo Kendrick for Medyascope
