Who is jailed Turkish opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu?

The embattled mayor of Istanbul is the opposition party’s candidate for the next presidential election, scheduled to take place in 2028.

The embattled mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, has been chosen as the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for the next presidential election, scheduled to take place in 2028.

Imamoglu, who was detained on Wednesday, is widely seen as the top challenger of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His arrest has prompted widespread protests, which have been ongoing for several days, primarily centred in major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.

Below is a brief timeline of Imamoglu’s political career.

(Al Jazeera)

Early life and education

Imamoglu was born on June 4, 1970 in Trabzon, northeastern Turkiye.
He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in human resources management from Istanbul University.

Elected mayor of Istanbul

In 2008, he joined the Republican People’s Party (CHP), one of Turkiye’s major political parties.
From 2014 to 2019 he served as mayor of Istanbul’s Beylikduzu district.
In 2019, he became mayor of Istanbul, beating the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) candidate. The results were initially annulled, but he won in a rerun.
In 2022, he was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison and was banned from politics for insulting the Election Council during the annulment of the 2019 Istanbul mayoral election. He appealed the ruling and the ban is pending.

University degree annulment

On March 18, 2025, Istanbul University annulled Imamoglu’s bachelor’s degree, citing irregularities with the Council of Higher Education regulations. This annulment would jeopardise his presidential eligibility, as under Turkish law, a candidate must have at least a higher education degree to be eligible to run for president.

Arrest and protests

On March 19, 2025, Imamoglu was arrested and charged with corruption, aiding the PKK, and leading a criminal organisation. This led to widespread protests, which are still ongoing.

CHP presidential candidate

On March 24, 2025, Imamoglu was elected as the CHP’s presidential candidate. The next scheduled election is in 2028. But early elections are thought to be likely.