Referenews

ISTANBUL—A Turkish court convicted the mayor of Istanbul of “insulting public officials” on Wednesday and sentenced him to more than two years in prison, striking a blow against a popular opponent of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who faces a difficult reelection next year.

Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is widely regarded as a potential challenger to Mr. Erdogan in next year’s presidential election, with the Turkish president at risk of losing after nearly two decades in power. Opinion polls indicate that if Mr. Imamoglu were to run, he could defeat Mr. Erdogan in a head-to-head election.