Europe| Tottering republic
President Erdogan jails his rival, and endangers Turkey’s democracy
Ekrem Imamoglu’s supporters have chosen him to run anyway
Photograph: Getty Images
CROWDS OF PROTESTERS streamed onto the square outside Istanbul’s city hall on March 23rd to support their mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, the Turkish opposition’s star politician. At least a million voters had just confirmed Mr Imamoglu as the candidate of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) at the country’s next presidential elections. But the rally was no celebration. The man the opposition supporters had come out to cheer was behind bars.