A Turkish court jailed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s most prominent rival, arresting him on corruption charges on Sunday, in what critics say is a major blow to democracy. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu who was preparing to announce his candidacy in the presidential vote for 2028,

Opponents say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan manipulates the courts and the media to tighten his grip on power, and now is trying to prevent a top contender from running for president.

Turkish police have detained the strongest rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a move that experts say is aimed at removing all possible contenders ahead of the next presidential election and further stretching his rule.