di Shorsh Surme –
Turkish voters wanted to punish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the local elections. The result confirms that the opposition remains a national political force and that the leadership of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has emerged strengthened, which places him as a possible future rival of the president.
Imamoglu, candidate of the Republican People’s Party, announced his victory in the mayoral elections of Turkey’s largest city with 51% of the vote. Former minister Murat Kurum, a Erdogan loyalist, was defeated and obtained 39% of the votes.
This result represents the worst defeat for Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party after more than two decades in power, and could be an indicator of a change in the country’s political landscape. In a speech delivered after midnight, Erdogan described the election result as a “turning point”.
“The support and trust that our citizens place in us is evident,” said Imamoglu, 53, a former businessman who entered politics in 2008 and is now seen by analysts as a potential presidential contender.
In the capital Ankara, thousands of people gathered at night waving Republican People’s Party flags, awaiting the speech of Mayor Mansur Yavas, who defeated his rival Turgut Altinok of the Justice and Development Party in what was another blow for Erdogan.
According to the state Anadolu agency, the Justice and Development Party and its main ally lost the elections in 10 large cities, including Bursa and Baliqasir, in the north-west of the country.
The results showed the Republican People’s Party leading nationally with about 1% of the vote for the first time in 35 years.
Mert Arslanalp, assistant professor of political science at Istanbul’s Bogazici University, said this was the “most serious electoral defeat” for Erdogan since he came to power in 2002.
