Ekrem İmamoğlu

Ekrem İmamoğlu — Biography

Ekrem İmamoğlu was born on June 4, 1970, in Trabzon, where he also finished his schooling. He studied English-medium Business Administration at Istanbul University and later earned a master's degree in human resources at the same institution. From 1992 he worked in his family's construction and contracting firms, eventually taking charge of them, and he also held management positions at Trabzonspor's football and basketball clubs.

He joined the Republican People's Party (CHP) in 2008, was elected district chairman of Beylikdüzü the following year, and won the Beylikdüzü mayoralty in the 2014 local elections. In 2019 he took over as mayor of Istanbul; after the Supreme Election Council annulled that result he won the rerun vote in June and returned to office, then was reelected in 2024. That same year he was made head of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey.

On March 23, 2025, the CHP named İmamoğlu as its presidential candidate; on the same date he was detained and arrested as part of a judicial investigation, his mayoral duties were suspended, and he was placed in Silivri Prison.