00:00And we have a deputy mayor of the Mudania Municipality, Buran, you all know, like a young, yeah, you're still
00:07young, huh?
00:08So he will read out the letter that Ekrem İmamuluk, the mayor of Istanbul, in prison, has written to us.
00:21Sorry.
00:25Dear comrades, before reading this letter, allow me to briefly introduce myself.
00:33My name is Baran Güneş.
00:35I serve as deputy mayor of Mudania, as a member of the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, and as a member of
00:43the Congress of the Council of Europe.
00:45I am particularly proud to stand before you today, as a member of the Yeniparty, under the leadership of our
00:52founding leader, Özgür Özel.
00:55As his message has just reminded us, our commitment to democracy begins with defending the will of the people and
01:02ensuring that the choices are respected.
01:05With the leadership of Özgür Özel, I do not know how long our struggle will continue or what it may
01:12ultimately cost us.
01:14But there is one thing I know with absolute certainty, whatever the cost, we will never, never give up our
01:22struggle for freedom and democracy.
01:25It is now my honor to read a letter sent by Ekrem İmamoğlu.
01:30The words I'm about to read is his.
01:33Dear friends, dear comrades, you have gathered in Athens to discuss democracy at its roots.
01:41My words reach you today from a prison cell in Silivri.
01:46What more needs to be said to convey the gravity of the moment we are living through?
01:52One of the clearest tests of democracy is a simple one.
01:56Does the people choice still count?
01:59Democracy requires in power to respect the outcome of an election, even when it's against them.
02:11It requires them to accept when their opponents have won.
02:17When those in power seek to override the water's choice or diminish its meaning, democracy itself comes under pressure.
02:27The people of Istanbul have made their choices three times, twice in 2019 and once again in 2024.
02:38Today the mayor they elected is in prison.
02:42The ordinary Istanbul voter who went to the polls can now quite reasonably ask, does my vote still count?
02:52In Turkey, we are past the point of merely expressing concern about democratic backsliding.
03:01The issue is not only that elected mayors are being imprisoned or removed from office.
03:08The deeper question is whether the water's will still carries sufficient weight when it conflicts with the interests of those
03:18in power.
03:19Nor were these developments limited to elected municipalities.
03:24A court ruling overturned the outcome of CHP Congress.
03:28My colleagues refused to bow.
03:31They came together under the banner of Yeniparty, united by their belief in a Türkiye where the people's will is
03:41respected.
03:42I stand wholeheartedly with Yeniparty.
03:46I am not pessimistic.
03:48A people who have made their will clear three times will make it clear when necessary.
03:57Democracy endures through the patience and resolve of its people.
04:03I send you all my warmest greetings in solidarity.
04:08Ekrem İmamoğlu, the elected mayor of Istanbul.
04:23He is courageous at fighting in Turkey for democracy every day.
04:51Thank you.
04:53Thank you.
04:53Thank you.
04:53Thank you.
04:53Thank you.
04:53Thank you.
04:54Thank you.
