With Erdogan's Party Defeated in Turkey, Opposition Achieves Major Gains in Local Elections

Turkey's main opposition party maintained control over key cities and achieved significant gains in local elections on Sunday in other cities as well. This has caused discontent for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, who aimed to regain control of these urban areas. According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, with over 90% of the ballots counted, Ekrem Imamoglu, the current mayor of Istanbul from the Republican People's Party (CHP), was leading by a large margin in Turkey's largest city and economic center. The results indicate that Mansur Yavas, the mayor of Ankara, the capital, retained his seat with a stunning margin over his rival. Anadolu claims that the CHP won municipalities in 36 out of 81 provinces in Turkey and penetrated many of Erdogan's strongholds. The party garnered 37% of the votes nationwide, compared to 36% for Erdogan's party, marking the largest electoral victory for the CHP since Erdogan came to power two decades ago. In his speech from the balcony of the presidential palace, Erdogan acknowledged the electoral defeat, stating that his party experienced a 'loss of heights' across Turkey. He mentioned that the people delivered a 'message' that his party would 'bravely' analyze by engaging in self-criticism. Erdogan added, 'Unfortunately, nine months after our victory in the May 28 elections [last year], we could not achieve the result we wanted in the local elections. We will correct our mistakes and compensate for our shortcomings.' This vote was seen as a measure of Erdogan's popularity, as he sought to regain control of key urban areas that were handed over to opponents in the previous elections five years ago. The CHP's victories in Ankara and Istanbul in 2019 shattered Erdogan's aura of invincibility. The main battleground for the 70-year-old president was Istanbul, a city of 16 million where he was born and raised and began his political career as mayor in 1994. The outcome of this election served as a reinforcement for the opposition, which had been fragmented and demoralized after losing to Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in last year's presidential and parliamentary elections. Ozgur Ozel, the leader of the CHP, told a crowd of happy supporters, 'Voters decided to create a new political order in Turkey. Voters today decided to change the 22-year image of Turkey and open a door to a new political atmosphere in our country.' About 61 million people, including over a million first-time voters, were eligible to vote for metropolitan municipalities, city mayors, and local administrations. According to the Anadolu Agency, the voter turnout in the elections was around 76%, while it was 87% last year. According to Anadolu, Imamoglu received 50.6% of the votes in Istanbul, while Murat Kurum, the candidate from the Justice and Development Party, a former minister of urbanization and environment, received 40.5%. Polls had indicated a close competition between the two. The six-party opposition coalition led by the CHP disbanded after failing to unseat Erdogan in last year's elections and could not capitalize on the economic crisis and the government's weak response to last year's devastating earthquake that left over 53,000 dead. According to the Associated Press, analysts said a strong showing for Erdogan's party would make it harder for him to pursue a new constitution — one that reflects his conservative values and allows him to govern after 2028 when his current term ends. Erdogan, who has led Turkey for over two decades — as prime minister since 2003 and president since 2014 — supports a new constitution that prioritizes family values.