Erdogan’s Unprecedented Defeat: A New Chapter in Turkish Politics
In a historic turn of events, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party, AKP, suffered a significant defeat in the recent local elections. This loss marks the most substantial setback for Erdogan and his party in over two decades.
The main opposition, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), won the Istanbul and Ankara mayoral elections, as well as the municipalities of 36 of Turkey’s 81 provinces. The CHP won 37% of the votes nationwide, compared to 36% for Erdogan’s party. In Istanbul, Erdogan’s main rival, Ekrem Imamoglu, led by 10 percentage points in the mayoral race.
This defeat is seen as a significant blow to Erdogan, who acknowledged the electoral setback in a speech delivered from the balcony of the presidential palace. He referred to his party’s performance as “a loss of altitude” across Turkey. Erdogan pledged to engage in “courageous” self-criticism and to correct the party’s mistakes.
The election results have propelled Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to become Erdogan’s biggest rival. Imamoglu, who entered politics in 2008, is now widely touted as a likely presidential challenger.
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