Who is Turkish opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu?

Ekrem Imamoglu, the expectation of Turkish Presidential, was detained on allegations including corruption and supporting a terrorist group, is one of the most popular politicians in the country.

A prominent man, 54 -year -old in the mayor of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Istanbul, has long been seen as the most furious rival of President Recep Tayip Erdogan.

He shocked Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Vikas Party (AK), when he maintained control over Istanbul in last year’s municipal elections, conquering another gradual mandate in Turkey’s largest city.

Many political commentators in Türkiye have referred to it as “Erdogan’s worst defeat”.

But Imamoglu’s arrest, Who came a few days before being selected as a candidateInspired the CHP to warn the “coup against the next president”.

Born in 1970 in Akashkat, a sea coastal city in Turkish Black Sea Coast, Imamoglu went to Istanbul as a teenager, studied business and then moved to work in the construction industry.

Despite the center-right, conservative background of his family, Imamoglu says he “adopted social democratic values ​​during his time at the university”.

A football enthusiast, such as Erdogan himself, was also a amateur player in his youth and is known to support his local club, Trabzonespore. A love of the game is a useful feature for a politician in football-foot-plate Türkiye.

After a commercial career, at the age of 43, he turned to politics and was elected Mayor of Beelikduju district of the middle class of Istanbul for CHP.

But he was still relatively rarely known until he contested and won the mayorl election in Istanbul in 2019, which came as a major shock for Erdogan and AK.

Imamoglu faced immediate challenges for his victory – the electoral officials canceled the vote and excluded him from the office after alleged irregularities in the voting process. The run was ordered again.

After the announcement of re -running, Imamoglu addressed a huge crowd of his supporters at a rally, took his jacket and rolled his sleeves and urged them to focus on their energy when won again.

“Everything will be alright,” he said, which has become his campaign slogan and has been a catchfrease since then.

And for Imamoglu, “everything went well” – he secured 54% votes in another huge shock to the President.

He had now beaten AK twice, in a city that was run by the Governing Party and his Islamic predecessors for 25 years.

Istanbul is the place where Erdogan grew up, selling sesame bread snacks before joining politics in the 1970s. It was here that he rose through rank to become the mayor, Prime Minister and eventually to become President.

This disadvantage personally stung him and also hurt his party. Istanbul is a fifth of the Turkish population of around 85 million and is responsible for a significant part of its economy, including trade, tourism and finance.

Many experts predicted a uniform increase in power for Imamoglu after winning the second mandate in 2024. For many people, he was threatened by Erdogan’s grip in Türkiye’s top office.

Erdogan achieved a third term in the presidential elections in 2023 and cannot rule further from 2028 under the Constitution.

But his critics say that he can change the constitution to look for another term. The next survey is scheduled for 2028, but is likely to be first.

During his political campaigns, Imamoglu’s politics has been praised for his soft, comical view, which is contrary to many rivals in the Turkish polarized political scenario.

Blearing the secular base of the CHP, he has managed to appeal to some more sacred, orthodox voters of Turkey, who traditionally voted for AK, by incorporating mosques in his election campaigns and recently announced a historic mosque in the popular Karkoy district of Istanbul.

His wife Dilek Imamoglu has also become a popular person with his active appearance on social media, who is involved in charity work with her husband during her campaign.

The primary election of the main opposition was scheduled for 23 March, on which Imamoglu was expected to be elected as his candidate for the post of President of 2028.

But due to his arrest, and alleged irregularities, his Istanbul University degree has doubted his candidature last day.

According to the Turkish Constitution, the presidents should complete higher education to hold office.