Ekrem İmamoğlu said the following in response to Bilal Erdoğan's criticisms: “I grew up learning the struggles of life from the age of seven. That's why I am lucky. I had the opportunity to learn many things in life. But I want to ask: Who says such words? These words are spoken by a person who is over 40 years old, who still survives with the support of his father, who is unemployed and powerless.”
Mushrooming Sabah writer Melih Altınok apologized to IBB
Imamoğlu also emphasized that Bilal Erdoğan is discredited and added the following: “I have lived and seen this situation. In fact, when Bilal Erdoğan claimed that he was not in the same mosque with me, I told him that Friday prayers were kept waiting in a mosque in Konya under his name. I was the mayor of Beylikdüzü at that time and I mentioned this incident on television. But how could he know that I was there? Friday prayers were kept waiting for about 30-40 minutes. What kind of a tone can a person with such a frivolous reputation and defending such claims use as someone who is over 40 years old and still trying to live with his father's reputation and wealth?”
Imamoğlu also stated that the foundations and organizations managed by Bilal Erdoğan are no longer the backyard of IBB. Stating that the transfer of resources from IBB to the foundations was stopped, he said, “Now, what is in IBB is used by 16 million Istanbulites. Therefore, I do not take this kind of character and approach seriously.”.