İmamoğlu Vows End to Dawn Raids and Fear Politics in Youth-Focused Message

From his prison cell in Silivri, CHP’s presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu delivered a powerful message of hope and reform to Türkiye’s youth, pledging an end to state intimidation tactics and promising a future rooted in freedom, equality, and opportunity.

The message, released via his Presidential Campaign Office, emphasized that the current climate of fear—marked by pre-dawn police raids, arbitrary detentions, and the erosion of civil liberties—would be replaced by a democratic order where constitutional rights are fully respected.

“Not a single strand of your freedom will be harmed. When you exercise your constitutional rights, the threat of detention and dawn raids will be history.”

“We Are Listening—And We’re Building the Türkiye You Deserve”

Addressing young people directly, İmamoğlu promised that their complaints, concerns, and dreams were being noted.

“Don’t lose hope. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. The ballot box is coming—and your hardships will end.”

He laid out a vision of a fairer Türkiye, where meritocracy replaces favoritism, oral interviews are abolished, and no student is forced to abandon university due to financial hardship.

Economic Justice, Equal Opportunity, and Freedom of Expression

İmamoğlu’s statement painted a roadmap for a just society where:

• Protests and dissent are recognized as basic rights

• Every citizen’s dignity and safety is guaranteed by the state

• Educational equity removes financial barriers

• Mentorship and employment centers support young professionals

• Entrepreneurs and startups receive targeted incentives

“No more ‘neither in school nor at work’ situations. Every graduate will have a path forward.”

Empowering Youth Through Culture and Global Access

Promising more than just structural reforms, İmamoğlu committed to expanding international exchange programs, art and sports initiatives, and cultural mobility for young people.

“These aren’t dreams—they are achievable goals with leadership that prioritizes youth, listens to their voices, and invests in their future,” he said.

“This is why we set out. For you. With you.”