Main opposition triumphs in Turkish local elections, dealing blow to Erdogan
The recent local elections in Turkey delivered a significant setback to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AK party, as the main opposition secured major wins in Istanbul and Ankara, two key cities in the country.
Editor’s Note: You can also find this story in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, which gives you a closer look at the region’s top stories three times a week. To subscribe, click here.
Turkey’s recent local elections were a significant blow for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party. The main opposition party secured wins in important cities such as Istanbul and Ankara.
Turkey recently conducted nationwide elections for city mayors, district mayors, and other local officials who will hold office for the next five years. This comes after Erdogan's re-election as president in a closely contested May election, where he narrowly defeated opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff vote. Following his presidential win, Erdogan aimed to regain control of cities that were lost to the opposition in 2019.
CNN
video
Related video
Erdogan isn’t on the ballot. But his presence is felt in mayoral election
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has won 49 out of 81 municipalities, including 14 out of 30 urban areas in Turkey, according to preliminary official results announced by Turkey’s High Electoral Council.
With 99.8% of the votes counted, unofficial results showed that Ekrem Imamoglu of the CHP, who is President Erdogan’s chief political rival, has been re-elected as the mayor of Istanbul with 51.1% of the votes, as reported by state broadcaster TRT. Nationwide, the CHP received the most votes, with 37.7% support.
In the capital city of Ankara, the CHP candidate and current mayor Mansur Yavas won with an impressive 60.4% of the vote. Moving on to Izmir, the CHP's Cemil Tugay emerged victorious with 48.9% of the vote.
Addressing a jubilant crowd in Istanbul on Sunday night, 53-year-old businessman-turned-politician Imamoglu declared, "The era of one-man rule is now behind us."
“As we mark our triumph, we are sending a clear message to the world: the downward spiral of democracy stops here,” stated the Istanbul mayor on Monday. “Istanbul serves as a shining light of optimism, a symbol of the strength of democratic principles amidst the growth of authoritarianism.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures to supporters at the presidential palace after winning the presidential runoff in Ankara, Turkey on Monday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures to supporters at the presidential palace after winning the presidential runoff in Ankara, Turkey on Monday.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
Related article
Erdogan survived the biggest test of his political career. What’s next?
Erdogan views Istanbul as a crucial and personally significant city that he was determined to win back in the recent election. For 25 years, the city was governed by religiously oriented parties, first by the Welfare Party, to which Erdogan belonged, and then by the AK Party. However, in 2019, the secular CHP took over the mayorship under Imamoglu.
In the latest election, the AK Party lost 10 districts in Istanbul to their opponents. Among them was Beyoglu, the district where Erdogan was born, which was won by the CHP.
Although Erdogan did not run in this election, many viewed the vote as a way to see if the AK Party could regain the cities it lost in the 2019 elections.
The 70-year-old leader accepted the loss for his party and stated that he will honor the decision made by the Turkish people.
President Erdogan expressed his disappointment about the local election results during a speech at AK Party headquarters in Ankara on Monday. He emphasized that despite the outcome, the true winners are democracy, the national will, and all 85 million citizens, regardless of their political beliefs. CNN's Nadeen Ebrahim contributed to this report.
Editor's P/S:
Turkey's recent local elections have delivered a significant blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has secured wins in crucial cities such as Istanbul and Ankara, signaling a shift in the political landscape and a setback for Erdogan's authoritarian rule.
Erdogan's loss in Istanbul, a city he has long held dear, is particularly symbolic. The CHP's Ekrem Imamoglu, who defeated Erdogan's favored candidate by a narrow margin, has declared that "the era of one-man rule is now behind us." This sentiment reflects a growing desire among Turkish citizens for greater democratic freedoms and a departure from Erdogan's increasingly autocratic tendencies. The election results are a clear indication that Erdogan's grip on power is weakening, and that Turkey may be entering a new era of political pluralism and accountability. give it a stronger platform to challenge Erdogan and his party in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
