IMM President Ekrem İmamoğluspoke at the events of the 570th Anniversary of the Conquest of Istanbul. Addressing tens of thousands of Istanbulites, İmamoğlu said, “This ancient city is an asset that has been entrusted to each and every one of us, of 16 million Istanbulites and 86 million of our nation. This is the Istanbul of conquest and Atatürk. And Istanbul is Turkey; remember,” he said.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) celebrated the 570th Anniversary of the Conquest of Istanbul with events held in Orhangazi City Park in Maltepe. IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlumade a speech at the event attended by tens of thousands of Istanbulites, mostly young people. On the platform where he will speak, his wife, Dr. İmamoğlu, who went out with Dilek İmamoğlu, said, “I see a great youth here. Your energy is amazing. You came despite this cool weather. You have attended here from every district of Istanbul. Thank you all. With your flags we will celebrate the anniversary of the conquest of this ancient city. And we are on the first day of this new era we have entered. You came here because you all respect the history of this country. You believe in your future. Yes, despite facing a polarization, we believe together that we can live in peace and brotherhood. Although we face despair, we believe that hope can spring from this land every day. Despite the politics that sometimes keeps one out, sometimes shouts and divides; "You believe it's possible to create a better, stronger union."
“FATIH SULTAN MEHMET CONQUERED not only ISTANBUL, but also the hearts of those living in this city”
İmamoğlu gave a speech on the conquest of Istanbul and the statesmanship of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the legendary sultan of the Ottoman Empire, who went down in history as the commander who realized it. Pointing out that not only did the political map of the world change with the conquest, but also the power relations and balances were redefined, İmamoğlu said, “Conqueror Sultan Mehmet conquered not only the ancient city but also the hearts of the people living in this city. The conquest was permanent, as it embraced people of all faiths living in the city. Istanbul has become an exemplary world capital where all faiths and cultures live together with the great strength and inspiration that Fatih Sultan Mehmet received from his unique personality. Istanbul; became the center of justice, tolerance and respect for the law. It became a symbol of universal tolerance. Today, we all live here as the children of this society, this distinguished nation from different geographies. We are responsible for protecting the cherished and glorious history of Istanbul together. This is as much as our Fatih Sultan Mehmet Khan… Look, this is often forgotten. Istanbul remained under enemy occupation for five years. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is the person who saved Istanbul from occupation and gave it to all of us once again. For him, our responsibility is our debt to him.”
“THIS IS THE ISTANBUL OF FETHIN AND ATATÜRK”
Emphasizing that Istanbul is a very valuable city for all these reasons, İmamoğlu said, “It is never a city where any person, a political party or a handful of people can cut it up, cut it into pieces and put it up for sale. This ancient city is an asset that has been entrusted to each of us, one by one, of 16 million Istanbulites and 86 million people. This is the Istanbul of conquest and Atatürk. And Istanbul is Turkey; remember,” he said.