Ola Geren

Istanbul's jailed mayor now faces yet another legal case, and this one is on an epic scale. The indictment runs to 4,000 pages and names 400 suspects. It alleges that Ekrem Imamoglu is the boss of a crime group involved in embezzlement, extortion and money laundering.

Prosecutors have demanded a sentence of more than 2,000 years if the mayor is convicted. They have also asked the courts to close his Republican People's Party, which is Turkey's main political opposition.

Mr. Imamolu has already been accused of everything from espionage to forging his university degree. His party says his only crime is running for the presidency of the country. As the cases against him multiply, it seems safe to assume he will remain behind bars, unable to stand in the next election, due by 2028.