Can Istanbul’s mayor save democracy from the authoritarian right?

For 25 years Istanbul has been controlled by one political party and its antecedents. Borzou Daragahi meets the new mayor and asks whether he can transform the politics of Turkey and turn the country into a model for democratic reform

Imamoglu celebrates in front of thousands of supporters in Istanbul after winning the election (AFP/Getty)

The black minivan arrives and the awaiting crowd comes alive, converging around it. They hold up mobile phone cameras and rush forward, cheering as the mayor of Istanbul emerges, shaking hands with officials and greeting the dozen or more constituents who have gathered in front of the local government headquarters of Sultangazi, one of the 39 districts that make up Istanbul.

A compact man with an elfish smile, the 49-year-old​ Ekrem Imamoglu appears a tad overwhelmed as voters beseech him with requests and complaints that range from being fired from their civil service jobs to needing social assistance. An elderly woman pushing her disabled son in a wheelchair pleads for help to care for him.

“Give me time,” he insists. “I have just started.”