Ekrem Imamoglu is the mayor of Istanbul. He beat the candidate supported by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the local elections of 31 May in Turkey.
"These elections represent an important fact on the social democratic intervention against authoritarianism," says Imamoglu. The Republican People's Party (CHP), of which he is part, has for the first time overtaken Erdogan's AKP at the national level, he says. "Our citizens have expressed their desire for change in these elections and have charted a new course for Turkey", he adds. The mayor is seen by many analysts as Erdogan's most popular challenger in the presidential elections scheduled for 2028. He also reiterates his opposition to Erdogan's plan for a canal parallel to the Bosphorus (Kanal Istanbul) and promised to work to make Istanbul's buildings resistant to earthquakes. The results obtained represent a punishment from the electorate also against the economic crisis that has taken place in recent years under Erdogan's governments.