In a move unusual for a mayor of İstanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the newly elected mayor of Turkey’s most populous city, on Monday took a tram in an apparent move to mingle with the public and attracted a huge amount of interest, according to Turkish media reports.
İmamoğlu took the tram at the Gülhane station after his meeting with the İstanbul governor. During his trip, passengers rushed to chat with the new mayor, and one of them thanked İmamoğlu for being a mayor “who is among the people.” Some passengers took selfies with İmamoğlu, while others made video calls to show friends and family who was on the train.
The İstanbul mayor got off the tram at the Laleli station, from where he walked to the municipal building in Saraçhane. He was immediately surrounded by people who wanted to show their support for him.
As he was walking to city hall, some store owners asked İmamoğlu to come for tea. İmamoğlu said he would stop by later as he had appointments at the municipal building.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) mayoral candidate İmamoğlu last Thursday accepted the mandate to serve as the mayor of Turkey’s financial powerhouse after winning a repeat election in İstanbul on June 23.
İmamoğlu garnered around 54 percent of the vote in İstanbul, while his rival, Justice and Development Party (AKP) mayoral candidate Binali Yıldırım, received some 45 percent.
İmamoğlu also won in the local elections held across Turkey on March 31 as the İstanbul mayoral candidate; however, his term as mayor lasted only 18 days as the Supreme Election Council annulled the results of the vote over an appeal filed by the AKP, citing irregularities in the election.