Turkey’s main opposition party yesterday claimed victory in Istanbul and Ankara, with its rising political star emerging from local elections as a serious challenger to veteran Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Erdogan, addressing supporters at his party’s headquarters in Ankara, acknowledged a “turning point” for his party and promised to respect the results.
Partial results from across the nation of 85 million people showed major advances for the Republican People’s Party (CHP) at the expense of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) that has dominated politics for more than two decades.
Photo: AFP
Erdogan, 70, had launched an all-out personal campaign to win back Istanbul, the economic powerhouse where he was once mayor.
However, rampant inflation and an economic crisis have hit confidence in the ruling party.
With 96 percent of ballot boxes opened, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, of the CHP, said he had seen off the challenge from Erdogan’s candidate by more than 1 million votes.
Large crowds filled the square outside the party’s Istanbul city headquarters waving Turkish flags and lighting torches to celebrate the result.
After casting his vote, Imamoglu emerged to applause and chants of “Everything will be fine,” the slogan he used when he first took city hall from the AKP in 2019.
The 52-year-old is increasingly seen as the biggest rival to Erdogan’s AKP ahead of the next presidential election in 2028.
In Ankara, Mayor Mansur Yavas, also of the CHP, claimed victory in front of large crowds of supporters, declaring “the elections are over, we will continue to serve Ankara.”
“Those who have been ignored have sent a clear message to those who rule this country,” he added.
Yavas led with 58.6 percent of the vote to 33.5 percent for his AKP opponent, with 46.4 percent of ballot boxes opened.
The CHP was also ahead in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, and Antalya, where party supporters flooded onto the streets. Even some AKP stronghold towns were at risk of being lost, results indicated.
Erdogan acknowledged the electoral setback in a speech to supporters at the headquarters of his party.
“Unfortunately, we have not obtained the results that we wanted,” he told a subdued crowd.
“We will of course respect the decision of the nation. We will avoid being stubborn, acting against the national will and questioning the power of the nation,” he added.
Erdogan has been president since 2014. While he dominated the campaign, his personal role did not help overcome widespread concerns over the country’s economy.
“Everyone is worried about the day-to-day,” 43-year-old Istanbul resident Guler Kaya said as she voted.
“The crisis is swallowing up the middle class. We have had to change all our habits,” she said. “If Erdogan wins, it will get even worse.”
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