Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, has apparently elected an opposition candidate from Pontos as its new mayor in the local elections held on Sunday.
Ekrem Imamoglu won by a razor-thin majority and, if the objection raised by President Erdogan’s ruling party is dismissed, he would be sworn in as the city’s new mayor.
Imamoglu was born in Trabzon in Pontos in 1970. He is believed to speak the Pontian dialect and has maintained close links with Pontians in the town of Giannitsa, in northern Greece.
On May 10, 2016, he uploaded videos to his Facebook page where he is seen taking part in the festivities of the town’s Pontian community, where he is also spotted dancing traditional dances of the region.
Yenice'de Yunan dostlarla horon…
Posted by Ekrem İmamoğlu on Tuesday, May 10, 2016