İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has issued a statement from prison following a 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck near the city on April 23, calling for unity and long-term planning to confront the threat of future disasters.
In a message shared on X, İmamoğlu said his “deepest sorrow” was being unable to stand with the people of İstanbul on such a difficult day, especially as someone who has long worked to prepare the city for natural disasters.
İmamoğlu, the main opposition’s leading figure and a declared presidential candidate for the 2028 election, has been held in Silivri Prison since his March 23 arrest on corruption charges — a case his supporters say is politically motivated.
“It is encouraging that no serious incidents have been reported so far,” he said, adding that all municipal teams were on high alert and working in coordination with state institutions.
He emphasized that earthquake preparedness is not a political competition but a national survival issue, stating, “This is much bigger than winning elections or clinging to power.”
İmamoğlu reiterated his call for cooperation with the central government and highlighted a series of previous proposals, including the establishment of a city-wide disaster council and broader urban transformation efforts.
He called for a comprehensive, cross-institutional plan that would include infrastructure reinforcement, environmental protection and regional coordination across İstanbul and its surroundings.
“This must be treated as a national and international mobilization,” he said. “We must immediately put aside harmful projects like Kanal İstanbul and focus all resources on preparing for and mitigating the effects of a future major earthquake.”
Kanal İstanbul is a controversial government-backed artificial waterway project intended to connect the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, which critics warn could severely damage İstanbul’s ecosystem, increase seismic risks and divert resources away from urgently needed earthquake preparedness.
The mayor ended his message by wishing the nation well and expressing hope for solidarity in the face of natural disasters.