Turkey’s main opposition party dealt an unexpected blow to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s rule on Sunday by securing a sweeping victory in Turkey’s local elections. The party maintained control of major cities, including the capital Ankara and Istanbul, where Ekrem Imamoğlu secured a second term as mayor.
This marked the most significant defeat for Erdogan and his AK Party (AKP) in their more than two decades in power, potentially signaling a shift in the country’s political landscape. Erdogan referred to it as a “turning point” in a post-midnight address.
Opposition supporters gathered in Istanbul to celebrate the results, with tens of thousands lighting torches and waving Turkish flags.
Acknowledging his party’s decline in popularity nationwide, Erdogan, who has governed Turkey since 2002, vowed to self-reflect and address any mistakes. “We will address our shortcomings,” he said.
In the previous local elections in 2019, Imamoglu won Istanbul’s mayoral race, delivering Erdogan and his AK Party their most significant electoral setback to date. This defeat held personal significance for Erdogan, who has strong ties to the city, having been born and raised there and serving as its mayor in the 1990s.
As the night progressed, favorable turnout continued to benefit the opposition. The main opposition party secured control of a significant portion of western Turkey and achieved victories even in more conservative regions near the Black Sea and central Anatolia, traditionally considered hostile to its policies.
The election results were quickly interpreted as a sign of widespread dissatisfaction with Erdogan. He had been actively rallying his supporters to turn out for the local elections immediately after winning the presidency last year.
In an effort to reclaim Istanbul, Erdogan personally led his party’s campaign, holding rallies in the city in the week leading up to the vote and attending prayers at the historic Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul the night before the ballot.
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