Jailed Istanbul Mayor Is Ready to Back Others Against Erdogan
In exclusive comments, Ekrem Imamoglu said he still hopes to run for president — but he signals he expects a long legal battle.
Ekrem Imamoglu won another term last year before being arrested in March.
Photographer: David Lombeida/BloombergTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s strongest challenger is open to endorsing an alternative candidate if he’s prevented from contesting the next presidential election.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been in jail for almost five months, said “democratic legitimacy” was at stake. While he still hoped to represent the opposition alliance it was “not the time for hesitation,” he said in his first interview with foreign media since his March arrest.