ISTANBUL (AP) — As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted NATO leaders in Ankara on Wednesday, his main political rival defended himself against corruption charges in court.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who represents the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, was arrested in March 2025. Hundreds of party members and elected officials have been detained over the past two years in a crackdown critics say is designed to cripple Turkey’s largest opposition group.