İmamoğlu Condemns “Mafia-Style Politics” in Letter from Prison

Ekrem İmamoğlu, CHP’s presidential candidate and detained mayor of Istanbul, sent a powerful letter from Silivri Prison to the crowd gathered at CHP’s rally in front of the Aydın Metropolitan Municipality.

In his message, İmamoğlu criticized the recent political defection of Özlem Çerçioğlu to the AK Party, framing it within a broader struggle against what he called “mafia-style politics based on judicial conspiracies, slander, and blackmail.” He stressed that such practices represent “the most urgent problem Türkiye must solve.”

A Call to Resist

İmamoğlu warned that some politicians betray public trust by turning their elected positions into bargaining chips. He emphasized:
“Mafia methods cannot protect power forever. Our great nation will never allow such disgrace. This is a national duty that transcends political divisions. If we fail to end mafia politics, gang culture will dominate every part of life — from judiciary to health and education.”

Vision for Türkiye

Addressing the people of Aydın in an emotional opening, İmamoğlu praised the city as the “land of brave efes and zeybeks” and reaffirmed his determination to build a country ruled by justice, liberty, and prosperity.

“Politics should solve problems through law and democracy. When it departs from these principles, it becomes a source of problems. This government, by ignoring justice and the national will, deepens Türkiye’s crises. Only by returning to democracy and rule of law can the country recover,” he wrote.

Promise of a Clean Break

İmamoğlu declared that the upcoming elections will mark the end of all gangs and cliques, promising a political and institutional clean-up:
“Our mission is to rid the state of looting, partisanship, and incompetence. We will transform Türkiye into a nation of justice, freedom, and abundance. We will never abandon this goal — with determination and the power of our people, we will succeed.”