
Istanbul's powerful mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's biggest political rival who has had hurdle after hurdle thrown at him to stop him making a bid for Turkey's top job.
After a sensational entry into politics in 2019 when he was elected mayor of Turkey's economic powerhouse, Imamoglu quickly became a key figure within the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).