As the worst snowfall in decades paralyzed life in Istanbul and crippled its links to the outside world, the government and opposition-held municipality exchanged barbs on just who was to blame and lauded their own efforts. Meanwhile, television channels and social media showed footage of stranded cars and trucks along highways in Turkey’s largest city.
Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s social democrat mayor and a potential candidate against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming presidential elections, was the main target of the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) salvos. Opinion polls consistently suggest that he would beat Erdogan in the race that is scheduled to be held in 2023.
