Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu addresses controversy over Cyprus monument

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has responded to renewed criticism regarding a monument commissioned during his term as mayor of the Beylikduzu district. The monument, intended to depict the 1959 Zurich and London Agreements, features a relief of Archbishop Makarios III alongside figures of Turkish soldiers, Turkish-Cypriot fighters, and Rauf Denktas. Critics have accused Imamoglu of commissioning a statue of Makarios, a claim he characterizes as a distortion of reality intended to discredit him. Imamoglu clarified that the monument was selected by the family of Rauf Denktas and is intended to symbolize historical events related to Cyprus. Furthermore, the mayor alleged that these accusations are part of a broader politically motivated campaign against him. He linked the current controversy to ongoing legal proceedings, including his reported detention and challenges to his academic credentials. Imamoglu stated that these actions aim to prevent his candidacy in future presidential elections against Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He noted that similar criticisms were raised during the 2019 local elections when he previously clarified the nature of the monument.