In the recent local elections in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to regain Istanbul and Ankara, despite his own party’s efforts. The CHP republicans have surpassed Erdogan’s party as the leading political force in the country. The counting of votes is still ongoing, with 57% of votes counted in Istanbul. Meanwhile, Ekrem Imamoglu has increased his lead on Murat Kurum, with Imamoglu currently having 50.5% of the votes while Kurum is 9 points behind.
In Ankara, another key city lost by Erdogan five years ago, Mansur Yavas is currently leading with 58.4%, while Erdogan’s AKP candidate is at 33%. Voter turnout was high, with over 90% turnout throughout Turkey. The CHP and opposition are strong in coastal regions, while central Anatolia and the Black Sea remain with Erdogan’s party. On the other hand, pro-Kurdish parties are leading in provinces with Kurdish majorities.
While these election results have been a setback for Erdogan’s party, they have sparked discussions on various other topics such as private school investments, product reviews, calligraphy lessons and nursing paper writing services on different platforms. Despite this loss of political power in local elections, Erdogan remains focused on his long-term goals for Turkey and will continue to work towards achieving them through other means available to him.
