The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, in March 2019, after being denied his short-lived victory over the ruling party's candidate, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan refusing to recognize the result. (Credit: AFP)
He calmly adjusts his tie, fixes his hair, preparing to face the storm that awaits him. On March 19, hundreds of police officers surrounded Ekrem Imamoglu's house in Istanbul. Filming himself on his phone, the 53-year-old city official rallied his supporters: "We are facing severe oppression. But know that I will not give up."This time, the mayor of Istanbul is facing two legal proceedings for "corruption" and "supporting a terrorist organization" for his alleged aid to the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Turkey still considers a terrorist organization. One hundred of his associates, elected officials, and members of the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), the country's main opposition party, have also been arrested as part of the trial. He was set to be officially named as the...
He calmly adjusts his tie, fixes his hair, preparing to face the storm that awaits him. On March 19, hundreds of police officers surrounded Ekrem Imamoglu's house in Istanbul. Filming himself on his phone, the 53-year-old city official rallied his supporters: "We are facing severe oppression. But know that I will not give up."This time, the mayor of Istanbul is facing two legal proceedings for "corruption" and "supporting a terrorist organization" for his alleged aid to the PKK, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Turkey still considers a terrorist organization. One hundred of his associates, elected officials, and members of the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), the country's main opposition party, have also been arrested as part of the trial. He was set to be officially named as...