Ekrem İmamoğlu was born on 7 June 1970 in Cevizli Village, Akçaabat district of Trabzon. His father, Hasan İmamoğlu, and his mother, Hava İmamoğlu, are from local families in Trabzon. İmamoğlu completed his primary and secondary education in Trabzon and later moved to Istanbul for higher education. After completing his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Business Administration of Istanbul University, ^【1】 he pursued a master’s degree in Human Resources Management at Istanbul University. Throughout his academic life, he participated in social activities and sports initiatives.

Ekrem İmamoğlu married Dilek İmamoğlu in 1995. The couple has three children named Semih, Selim and Beren. İmamoğlu has repeatedly emphasized the importance he places on family life and has shared family photographs on his social media accounts.

Among İmamoğlu’s hobbies are following and playing football. A supporter of Trabzonspor, he is known to occasionally attend matches. In addition, reading on history and politics upon is also among his areas of interest.

After completing his higher education, İmamoğlu began working in the construction sector, the family business. The family company, known as İmamoğlu Construction, has developed housing projects in various regions of housing, primarily in Istanbul.

İmamoğlu’s business activities were not limited to the construction sector; over time he made investments in other sectors as well. He played an active role in real estate development projects and participated in various initiatives during Istanbul’s urban transformation process.

In addition to his business activities, İmamoğlu gained experience in sports management. Between 2006 and 2011, he held managerial positions at Trabzonspor.

Ekrem İmamoğlu’s active entry into politics began in 2009 when he joined the Republican People’s Party (CHP). In the 2014 local elections, İmamoğlu ran as the CHP candidate for mayor of Beylikdüzü, a district of Istanbul, and won the election, assuming his first significant political office. Beylikdüzü is one of Istanbul’s rapidly developing and growing districts.

During his tenure as mayor of Beylikdüzü, İmamoğlu implemented urban transformation projects, green space initiatives and infrastructure investments. Under the “Green Beylikdüzü” project, he led efforts to increase the amount of green areas in the district.

_{Ekrem İmamoğlu greets supporters from a campaign vehicle. -}Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

Prior to the 2019 local elections, the CHP nominated İmamoğlu as its candidate for Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor. His candidacy was also supported by the İYİ Party, the other component of the Nation Alliance.

During his election campaign, İmamoğlu used the slogan “Everything Will Be Very Nice.” He effectively utilized social media in his campaign efforts.

In the local elections held on 31 March 2019, İmamoğlu faced a closely contested race against Binali Yıldırım, the candidate of the People’s Alliance. According to the initial results, İmamoğlu led by approximately 13,000 votes. However, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) challenged the results, and following an evaluation by the Supreme Election Council (YSK), the election was annulled and ordered to be repeated on 6 May 2019 on the grounds that certain members of the election boards were not public officials.

In the repeat election for Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor held on 23 June 2019, İmamoğlu won by a margin of approximately 806,000 votes.

Formally assuming office as Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor on 30 June 2019, one of İmamoğlu’s most prominent initiatives during his term focused on addressing Istanbul’s transportation challenges. Projects in this area included the construction of new metro lines, renewal of the public transit fleet and offering transportation discounts to university students.

İmamoğlu also undertook initiatives in the areas of green spaces and the environment. Under the “Green Istanbul” vision, he launched projects to expand urban forests and parks. Additionally, various initiatives were implemented to protect Istanbul’s water basins and prevent environmental pollution.

Social assistance programs were also carried out during İmamoğlu’s mayoral term. Notable examples include aid provided to low-income families during the pandemic, the “People’s Milk” project and an increase in the number of daycare centers.

The primary criticism directed at İmamoğlu concerns alleged inadequacies in resolving certain infrastructure issues in Istanbul. In particular, water outages during the winter months and flooding after rain have been cited by opponents as evidence of poor management.

Another point of criticism is the allegation that İmamoğlu has used municipal resources for political propaganda purposes. Critics have raised concerns about his frequent trips outside Istanbul and the perception that these trips serve party interests.

İmamoğlu’s background as a businessman and the status of companies linked to his family have occasionally been the subject of discussion. In particular, questions have been raised about whether these companies have won public tenders and about their relationship with the municipality.

Another criticism concerns alleged violations of merit-based principles in certain appointments within the municipality and accusations of partisanship.

Istanbul University revoked İmamoğlu’s diploma on grounds of irregularity. The university administration stated that in 1990, irregularities were identified in the lateral transfers of 38 students, including İmamoğlu, into the English-language program of the Faculty of Business Administration, in violation of regulations set by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). ^【2】 This situation raised questions about İmamoğlu’s constitutional eligibility for the presidency of the Republic.^【3】

Following the annulment of the 2019 Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality elections, İmamoğlu used the term “fool” in reference to members of the Supreme Election Council (YSK) who had voted to annul the election. As a result, a lawsuit was filed against him for “insulting public officials.” At the trial held on 14 December 2022, İmamoğlu was sentenced to two years, seven months and 15 days in prison and received a political ban. This ruling has not yet become final as the appeal process is ongoing.

An investigation was launched regarding allegations of irregularities in certain tenders during İmamoğlu’s tenure as mayor of Beylikdüzü. In the case opened in 2023, İmamoğlu was charged with “corrupting the tender process” and faced a prison sentence demand of three to seven years. This legal proceeding is still ongoing.

In two separate investigations conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, detention orders were issued against İmamoğlu and more than 100 others. The first investigation was based on allegations that a criminal organization was established under İmamoğlu’s leadership, which pressured businesspeople to pay money, accepted bribes and engaged in corruption in municipal tenders. The second investigation accused İmamoğlu of aiding a terrorist organization by enhancing the influence of the PKK in urban areas.

Among those detained were İmamoğlu’s press advisor Murat Ongun, the mayors of Istanbul’s Şişli and Beylikdüzü districts, several journalists and businesspeople. As part of the operation, a search was conducted at İmamoğlu’s home in Sarıyer, after which he was taken for a medical examination.

According to documents prepared by the prosecutor’s office, the criminal organization allegedly led by İmamoğlu engaged in corruption in municipal tenders, accepted bribes and coerced businesspeople into making payments. It was also claimed that the alliance formed with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) for the 2024 local elections increased the PKK’s influence in urban areas and therefore constituted support for a terrorist organization.