Enthusiasm and tension in the air: Impressions from İmamoğlu’s Antalya rally

Ceren Deniz / DUVAR

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who is seeking to run for the presidency in the next election, on March 9 held the Antalya leg of the public meetings.

This weekend, İmamoğlu held four rallies, in İzmir, Kayseri, Antalya, and Adana, prior to the primary election of his Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The CHP on March 23 will hold a primary election to name its presidential candidate, in which İmamoğlu is the only candidate. 

The hall and the surrounding square were mostly full of people at the rally held at the Cam Piramit in the city center of Antalya. 

The crowd chanted the slogan “Everything will be beautiful,” while those who stayed outside watched İmamoğlu on two screens set up. 

However, the excitement of the crowd turned into a reaction to the organizational failures from time to time due to the overcrowding. 

İmamoğlu first had iftar at a farmer's house and then came to the rally area. At that moment, journalists from 10 news outlets and TV channels encountered a security barrier and could not enter the hall. 

Security guards told them that the audience had entered early and that there was no room inside. In response, the press members who had stayed outside turned on their cameras and started to report that they were not allowed into the hall.

While Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek was addressing the crowd, some reporters were still waiting outside. 

Some of them said, “There is a harsher attitude than the minister's bodyguards,” to which authorities from the Antalya Municipality responded, “The program is not ours, it’s Ekrem İmamoğlu’s.”

As the tension outside was growing, an executive from the Antalya Municipality security unit allowed reporters to enter the hall.

İmamoğlu took the stage after Böcek and addressed the crowd in a hoarse voice as Antalya was the last leg of the four-rally marathon.

He also repeated his symbolizing stage gesture, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. His speech was often cut due to the crowd’s slogans. 

He also commemorated CHP’s former chair, the late Deniz Baykal in his hometown.

Again, organizational shortcomings drew ire as the people in the back could not see İmamoğlu properly.

In his speech, İmamoğlu mentioned the economic turmoil in Turkey several times.

“I know that Antalya also had its share of economic shortsightedness. Antalya is one of the 3 provinces in Turkey with the highest rent increases in terms of real estate. (The state) made foreigners who bought a house for 250 thousand dollars citizens, right? They sold it at a higher price after 3-4 years, they both made money and gained citizenship, and I am against this.”

“While the people of this country cannot pay their rent, foreigners cannot be allowed to profit from this. This city used to be a city where civil servants used to rejoice when they were relocated because they were going to a comfortable city. Now it is a city where civil servants do not want to work,” he added.

He also talked about several judicial investigations he is facing and said, “(Erdoğan) want to enter the race without Ekrem İmamoğlu, this nation will not make that election. Illegitimate threats will not deter me, I trust my nation.”

“Those who were alarmed by our decision to nominate the candidate were even more frightened when they learned that we would hold primaries because they do not know democracy. Our party's decision to hold primaries is a revolution in democracy. Those who wanted to impose top-down politics on Turkey were very afraid of the primaries. Because democracy is contagious,” he added.

The popular mayor said goodbye to the crowd on the stage together with his party members, deputies, and mayors. 

“Are you ready to go to the polls for your presidential candidate?” İmamoğlu received an enthusiastic ‘yes’ from the crowd. 

“Our only crime is that we beat them 4 times. Are you ready to send (Erdoğan) home for the 5th time? I disturbed their sleep, let's do it together,” he concluded.