Turkish Mayoral Candidate Imamoglu Faces High-Stakes Trial

Ekrem Imamoglu, the former mayor of Istanbul and a rising political star in Turkey, has gone on trial in a case that has major implications for the country's political landscape. Imamoglu, who is seen as a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is accused of insulting public officials during his 2019 mayoral campaign.

Imamoglu's supporters have rallied behind him, staging protests outside the courthouse in Silivri, near Istanbul, where the trial is taking place. They view the case as a politically motivated attempt to sideline a popular opposition figure and potential future presidential candidate.

The charges against Imamoglu stem from a speech he gave in 2019, in which he allegedly accused election officials of