ISTANBUL: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan conceded that the ruling coalition had experienced a setback after facing its most significant electoral setback on Sunday in a nationwide local vote that reaffirmed the opposition’s presence as a political force.
With the majority of ballots counted, Ekrem Imamoglu led by a margin of 10 percentage points in the mayoral race in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city.
Meanwhile, his Republican People’s Party (CHP) retained control of Ankara and secured 15 additional mayoral seats in cities across the country.
This outcome marked the harshest defeat for Erdogan and his AK Party (AKP) during their more than two decades in power, possibly signaling a shift in the country’s politically divided landscape. Erdogan described it as a “turning point” in a late-night address.
The president and the AKP performed worse than anticipated by opinion polls, attributed to skyrocketing inflation, disgruntled voters, and Imamoglu’s appeal extending beyond the CHP’s secular base in Istanbul, analysts noted.
“Those who fail to grasp the message of the nation will ultimately suffer,” Imamoglu, 53, declared to a crowd of enthusiastic supporters late on Sunday, some of whom chanted for Erdogan’s resignation.
“Tonight, 16 million Istanbul residents conveyed a message to both our adversaries and the president,” said the former businessman, who entered politics in 2008 and is now widely considered a potential presidential contender.
Erdogan, who previously served as mayor of Istanbul in the 1990s, had campaigned vigorously ahead of the municipal elections, perceived as a barometer of both his support and the opposition’s resilience.
Speaking to supporters gathered at AKP headquarters in Ankara, Erdogan acknowledged that his coalition had “lost ground” nationwide and pledged to heed the voters’ message.
“If we have erred, we will rectify it in the years to come,” he stated. “If anything is lacking, we will fulfill it.”
Elsewhere in Ankara, thousands more supporters cheered Turkish and party flags during a speech by reelected CHP Mayor Mansur Yavas, who decisively defeated his AKP opponent, adding to Erdogan’s woes.
According to results from 99.98% of ballot boxes in Istanbul, Europe’s largest city and the economic hub of the nation, Imamoglu secured 51.09% support compared to 39.59% for AKP challenger Murat Kurum, a former minister in Erdogan’s government.
While polls had predicted a tight race in Istanbul and potential losses for the CHP nationwide, partial official results from the state-run Anadolu Agency showed the AKP and its primary ally relinquishing mayoralties in 19 significant municipalities, including major cities like Bursa and Balikesir in the industrial northwest, potentially reflecting strains on the working class.
The CHP led by nearly 1% of the votes nationwide, marking a first in 35 years, according to the results.
Mert Arslanalp, assistant professor of political science at Istanbul’s Bogazici University, characterized this as Erdogan’s “most severe electoral defeat” since ascending to national power in 2002.
“Imamoglu demonstrated his ability to bridge the deep socio-political divisions that characterize Turkey’s opposition electorate, even without institutional support,” he observed. “This positions him as the most politically formidable challenger to Erdogan’s rule.”
