Istanbul’s new mayor formally takes office

Istanbul’s new mayor Ekrem Imamoglu formally took office on Thursday, a Reuters witness said, days after dealing President Tayyip Erdogan a stinging electoral blow in the re-run of a mayoral election that was seen as a test for Turkey’s democracy.

Imamoglu, of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), received his mandate at the Istanbul Provincial Election Board for the second time in three months, after his initial victory was annulled over repeated appeals by Erdogan’s ruling AK Party. He won the renewed vote by more than 800,000 votes.