Dilek Imamoglu, the woman standing at Erdogan DW 03/28/2025

Did Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calculated?

Since the arrest of the mayor of Imamoglu of Ekrem of Istanbul, the presidential candidate for the great opposition party CHP and the political rivals of Erdogan in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey went to the streets by the thousands.

The wife of Imamoglu Dilek is one of them. In her speeches during demonstrations, she speaks directly to President Erdogan. “It will defeat you, you will lose! The injustice that Ekrem is faced with everyone's conscience,” she said.

For the moment, it seems a bit that her husband has been defeated. His post as mayor of Istanbul has been withdrawn from him and he has been in police custody since Sunday. Could his wife already respected in political circles, take his coat in Turkish opposition?

Against the glass ceiling

Dilek Imamoglu, born in 1974, in the Turkish port city of Trabzon, met her husband in Istanbul. She married the charismatic Ekrem Imamoglu in 1995 at the age of 21. The couple have three children.

Their passion for politics shapes their family life to date. “Dilek is the backbone of our house,” said her husband in an interview with Cumhuriyet TV. “She is not only my wife but my biggest supporter.”

Dilek Imamoglu is involved in women's rights and the fight against discrimination against minorities, in volunteering and in the university world

In her master's thesis, written during her studies at the School of Political Science and Public Administration of Kadir at the University of Istanbul, she examined the “glass ceiling syndrome”. It has investigated the invisible obstacles that prevent women and minorities from accessing management positions.

Since her husband won local elections in Istanbul in 2019, Imamoglu has also worked to educate the rights to disabled people. For example, she spent a day bypassing Istanbul in a wheelchair to highlight the daily struggle to what those who use them in the city.

“She should run against Erdogan”

Women and young people in particular interpreted the presence of imamoglu on the political stage as a symbol of courage and democratic resilience. Many women who are convinced that she could inherit the political heritage of her husband.

“She should present herself as a candidate against Erdogan,” said some of the women who listened to her, who protested Sarachane Square in Istanbul. “She is very strong. We are still behind her. She and Ekrem Imamoglu.”

The next parliamentary and presidential elections are not expected before 2028. But there are good reasons for the government and the opposition to call for early elections.

If the voting date was presented, Erdogan would be authorized to run again. If the elections were held in 2028, according to the Turkish Constitution, it could not. This rule could only be canceled by an amendment to the Constitution, which would require a majority of two thirds in the Turkish parliament.

In the light of the current crisis, the opposition party's CHP would also benefit from advancing the elections. The announcement of a new candidate would strengthen the pressure on Erdogan.

Thunderous applause

Many Turks have been demonstrating on Sarachane Square for days now, urging the release of Ekrem Imamoglu. And they cling to his wife's words. Whenever Dilek Imamoglu goes on stage, the crowd is thunderous applause.

Her popularity is stimulated by the fact that she is not only talking about to support her husband, but also addresses social problems.

As a woman in the crowd said, “Dilek Imamoglu is the firm position in response to her husband's arrest is a model for all women and an inspiration for resistance. This shows how firm she is against tyranny.”

“Before the arrest of Imamoglu, everyone already discussed potential alternative presidential candidates,” said another premises. “If there is any other candidate for the CHP at all, it should be Dilek Imamoglu.”

This story was initially published in German.