Imamoglu, who is running in the country’s local elections to retain his seat as the opposition’s Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) candidate, participated in a ceremony that celebrated the life of the pro-Kurdish Turkish writer Yasar Kemal on February 28. During the ceremony, the mayor teared up during the performance of a Kurdish song by Kurdish singer Rojda. Imamoglu said in a televised program on Monday night that he was “deeply affected,” by the song.
Imamoglu’s words and his public display of emotion did not sit well with ultranationalist politician Umit Ozdag, the leader of the far-right Zafer Party, who accused the mayor of “praising those who do propaganda for the separatist group PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] in exchange for three votes.”
According to Ozdag, Imamoglu’s public display of emotions shows that his party, CHP, is cooperating with the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), and therefore cannot be trusted to protect the state’s Turkish identity.
Ozdag later posted a video on X, showing an incorrect translation of the song’s lyrics, claiming its message was one of “hostility towards Turks.”
Imamoglu claims to have enjoyed a good relationship with Kurds during his term as Istanbul’s mayor, especially after winning the mayoralty race in the 2019 elections thanks to the votes of the Kurdish population of the city, as the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) did not field candidates for the position.
During an interview with a Turkish journalist in late February, Imamoglu said that “nothing can fall between him and the Kurds,” praising his good relations with the city’s Kurdish population.
Nevertheless, Kurdish cultural activities have been banned in Istanbul on multiple occasions during Imamoglu’s tenure, the latest being in February when a Kurdish play was banned in the city’s Sisli district for unknown reasons.
Turkey is set to hold its local elections later this month, with the Istanbul mayor eyeing seeking to keep his seat until 2029. Unlike in the 2019 race, this year the pro-Kurdish DEM Party has also fielded a candidate, and Imamoglu does not enjoy the support of the country’s opposition parties, making the matter of his reelection difficult.
In the latest election survey conducted by Turkish pollster MetroPoll on March 2, Imamoglu marginally leads the race against the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) candidate Murat Kurum.
