Who Won: Ekrem Imamoglu vs Mansur Yavas

Ekrem Imamoglu

Ekrem Imamoglu was born in the Cevizli village of Trabzon‘s Akçaabat district in 1970. He graduated from Istanbul University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Following his undergraduate studies, he completed a Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management in the same university. During his time as a student, he played football as an amateur. He served as a board member at Trabzonspor Football Club, Trabzonspor Basketball Club, and Beylikduzuspor Sports Club.

In 1992, while still a graduate student, Imamoglu started working for the family business. He then assumed the CEO role in the group’s companies to lead housing and urban planning projects. While leading these projects, he encountered numerous problems stemming from local affairs, which led him to his decision to enter politics.

Imamoglu joined the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in 2009, and became a member of the Beylikdüzü District Organization. In the same year, he ran as a candidate for nomination to Beylikdüzü District Mayor, and actively participated in the party’s election campaign. Following the local election, he was elected the District Head of the CHP. After 5 years as a successful District Head who enhanced and improved the District Organization, Mr. İmamoğlu was nominated in 2013 as a candidate for Beylikdüzü District Mayor in the preliminary election within his party. In the March 30 local elections in 2014, he was elected Mayor of Beylikdüzü.

After his election as Mayor of Beylikduzu, and between the years 2014-2019, he realized a wide range of projects that transformed the district’s appearance. Following the positive changes he made in the district’s living standards, social life, and infrastructural services, Imamoglu captured the attention of the people of Beylikduzu, the media, academia, and the upper echelons of his party.

Subsequently, the CHP nominated Imamoglu for Mayor of Istanbul in the local elections of March 31, 2019. After an effective and inspiring campaign period of three months, he garnered 48.82% of the total votes and was elected Mayor of Istanbul. This was the highest percentage of votes that any Mayor of Istanbul had received in over 30 years.

Nevertheless, following the objections made by the ruling party, the Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) annulled Imamoglu‘s mandate on his 18th day as Mayor, relying on a decision that went against its own legal precedents. YSK ruled for an election re-run for June 23, 2019. After the annulment of the vote, Imamoglu launched his new election campaign with the historic speech he delivered in the Beylikduzu Valley of Life on the evening of May 6, 2019. His speech generated a strong sentiment of hope and determination among the voters who had faced a great disappointment in the aftermath of the annulment. This sentiment was sustained throughout the course of the campaign.

Ekrem Imamoglu‘s renewed campaign became a potent symbol of the fight for justice and democracy in Turkey. On June 23, he achieved an even more successful result than March 31, and was elected Mayor with the support of 54.2% of the voters. This election became a milestone for the democratic future of both Istanbul and Turkey.

Ekrem Imamoglu is married with three children and has been living in Istanbul since 1988.

Mansur Yavas

Mansur Yavas was born on May 23, 1955 in Beypazari in Ankara.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and Republican People’s Party (CHP) Ankara metropolitan mayoral candidate, former Beypazari mayor and lawyer. He completed his primary, secondary and high school education in Beypazari. He continued his education by winning Istanbul University Faculty of Law in 1979.

Mansur Yavas, who graduated from the faculty in 1983, worked as a freelance lawyer for 13 years in Beypazari after completing his military service as a military prosecutor. Yavas started to be interested in politics in his youth, and became a member of the Municipal Council in 1989-1994, and a candidate for the Beypazari Mayor of the MHP in 1994, but was not elected.

In the 18 April 1999 elections, he was a candidate from the MHP and received 8,500 votes with 51% of the votes, and became the Mayor of Beypazari. He received awards such as the “Best Local Manager of 2001” for the restoration of historical Beypazarı mansions and the preservation of thousands of years of Beypazarı history, the honor award given by the Turkish Language Association for the preservation of the Turkish language, and the “Environment Award” for nature warriors. He was elected as the “Mayor of the Year” by TUSIAV on September 24, 2004.

Mansur Yavas, who was re-elected as Mayor with 55% of the votes and 11 thousand votes in the 18 April 2004 elections, became a candidate for Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayorship from the Nationalist Movement Party in the local elections held on 29 March 2009.

However, with 27% of the votes, he finished the election in third place after his rivals Melih Gokcek and Murat Karayalcin. Since his party was not nominated again by the MHP, his joining the CHP came to the fore.

On December 21, 2013, the membership of the Republican People’s Party was accepted by the decision of the Central Executive Board of the Republican People’s Party. Then, in the 2014 local elections, he became a candidate for Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Candidate and at the party council meeting.

He was a candidate for the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality from the CHP in the 2014 local elections. He lost the election by a narrow margin. He resigned from the CHP in 2016.

Mansur Yavas became the CHP‘s candidate in the March 31, 2019 Local Elections and became the Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality.

After Mansur Yavas was elected, he won the hearts of the people with his projects. For many dissidents, he is seen as a presidential candidate.