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Ekrem Imamoglu seems to have come from nowhere become a figurehead of the long-suffering Turkish opposition.The soft-spoken local politician shot to fame thorugh his surprise win in Istanbul's mayoral election back in March... and the subsequent annulment of that. A re-run which the CHP candidate portrayed as a test for Turkey's democracy. SOT MAIN OPPOSITION REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (CHP) MAYORAL CANDIDATE FOR IST ANBUL, EKREM IMAMOGLU, SAYING: "This is not just a mayoral election for Istanbul. This is also the day to repair our democracy, after a period of illegal process that has been inflicted on our nation. "Imamoglu's victory over the ruling party's candidate in March - with a margin of 13,000 votes - came as a major upset in President Recep Tayyp Erdogan's hometown. The president did not recognise it and instead called for a re-run citing alleged irregularities. The setback actually helped boost Imamoglu's profile both at home and abroad. His Twitter following has soared from 350,000 to more than 2.5 million since the first vote.Even some among the ruling party's supporters were sympathetic to the opposition candidate. VOX "He won that election and they stripped him of his victory. I am a supporter of the AKP but I will now vote for Imamoglu in protest. "A practicing Muslim, Imamoglu ran a campaign based on reaching out across a polarised population. The key to his success was his relentlessly positive rhetoric and on-the-ground approach... The 49 year old now has the blessing of President Erdogan... as he becomes the first opposition mayor of Istanbul in a quarter of a century.
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