Erdogan names ex-minister as his party's Istanbul mayor candidate

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announces Murat Kurum as his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) candidate in Istanbul's mayoral election in March, in Istanbul, Turkey January 7, 2024. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday named former environment minister Murat Kurum as the ruling AK Party's candidate in Istanbul's mayoral election in March, bidding to win back control of Turkey's largest city.

Kurum will stand against incumbent Ekrem Imamoglu from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), whose election as mayor in 2019 ended 25 years of rule in Istanbul by the AKP and its Islamist predecessors.