How Istanbul’s mayor Imamoglu became Erdogan’s prime target

By Daren Butler

It was about six years ago when newcomer Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu called election board officials “idiots” for cancelling his initial victory at the polls, that President Tayyip Erdogan noticed him as a serious political threat.

The comment prompted a conviction that was appealed — one in a blizzard of legal probes and indictments that culminated in his jailing on Sunday, pending trial, over corruption charges that have been widely criticised as politicised and anti-democratic.

The combination of election success and legal battles has now cemented Imamoglu’s status as Erdogan’s main rival and biggest threat to the president’s more than 22-year reign. He has cultivated a fighting spirit that was displayed before police detained him early on Wednesday, criticising what he called a “coup” against the nation’s will.

“We are faced with great tyranny, but I want you to know that I will not give up,” he said