Turkey's Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu Celebrates Birthday in Silivri Court

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, currently held in pre‑trial detention, marked his birthday on 17 March inside the Silivri courtroom where his corruption case is being heard. Supporters, including poet Sunay Akın and musician Cahit Berkay, gathered as his wife Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu brought a cake and blew the candles, saying, “Canım sevgilim iyi ki doğdun.” İmamoğlu replied with humor, urging the court not to prolong the case. A banner bearing his photograph was briefly displayed but was swiftly seized by gendarmerie forces. The occasion drew applause and chants of “İyi ki doğdun” from his supporters, underscoring the political tension surrounding his detention and the broader Istanbul mayoral saga.