As mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu has ushered in a new era in Turkish politics - one committed to democracy, transparency, and inclusiveness. In the last local elections in the spring, his party won a majority against President Erdoğan's AKP, and hopes for political change in the country rest on him. On 21 November, at the invitation of the Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation (BKHS), he will speak at the Museum für Kommunikation in Berlin on the topic "For a Just Democracy!"
Ekrem İmamoğlu has been mayor of Turkey's largest city for five years and was re-elected in March 2024 with a clear majority. He first ran for mayor in 2019 as a candidate of the social-democratic party CHP, and surprisingly won with a narrow majority against the AKP. A re-run of the election, forced by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, confirmed his victory and made him one of the most influential politicians in Turkey in recent years. Since his re-election this spring, he has been a beacon of hope for political change.
The BKHS has invited İmamoğlu to give this year's Helmut Schmidt Lecture, titled "For a Just Democracy!", to shed light on important aspects of a strong democracy. He will focus on the criteria for success of a functioning democracy and how it can be strengthened.
Ekrem İmamoğlu is a courageous defender of democracy, while democracy is under increasing pressure not only in his own country but around the world. Populist tendencies are on the rise, wars are causing internal socio-economic pressures, and authoritarian leaders are undermining key institutions, norms and processes of democracy, including the separation of powers, independence of the judiciary, freedom of the press and freedom of association.
Since 2021, the BKHS has honoured its namesake with the annual Helmut Schmidt Lecture. To this day, Helmut Schmidt is regarded by many as a global statesman who fought for international peace, economic cooperation, democracy, and a united Europe. This year, Ekrem İmamoğlu, a thinker in the spirit of Schmidt, will also speak on those issues.
Helmut Schmidt Lecture"For a Just Democracy!"
on Thursday, 21 November 2024, at 19:00
at the Museum für Kommunikation Berlin
(Leipziger Straße 16, 10117 Berlin).
More information on the Helmut Schmidt Lecture 2024
