Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and a popular figure, had boasted jokingly that he was the only person to have beaten Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party in three local elections
Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, is a popular figure who defeated Erdogan's party in three local elections. His initial mayoral victory was annulled, but he won the repeat election by a larger margin. He was recently arrested following an investigation into alleged corruption, along with over 100 others. This occurred after Istanbul University invalidated his diploma, citing alleged irregularities. Imamoglu has faced other legal challenges, and his arrest is part of a broader pattern of arrests targeting Erdogan critics.
