Opposition to Erdogan emerges victorious in Turkish municipal elections

Turkey’s municipal elections took place last Sunday (31) and in the most important cities, Istanbul, the richest, and in the capital, Ankara, the opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emerged victorious.

Erdogan was active in the elections as a way of undermining future opponents. However, he had to observe the victory of Ekrem Imamoglu in Istanbul, a strong name to run for president in 2028.

In Ankara, the winner was Mansur Yavas, also from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), as well as Imamoglu. The third largest Turkish city, Izmir, also had a party victory, with Cemil Tugay elected.

The results showed a crushing defeat for the policy of Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), which accepted the results of the polls in a speech.

According to international analysts, this can be considered the biggest defeat of Erdogan’s career, because, considering the president’s personal commitment to maintaining Istanbul and the public machinery in favor of his party, the CHP had an exceptional result that had not occurred since the 70s, including in conservative strongholds.

Part of this is explained by galloping inflation of 67% in 12 months, historic devaluation of the Turkish currency, the Lira, which has led to a major crisis in the country’s middle class – a situation attributed to Erdogan, who is in his third consecutive term, president since 2014 and with a current term until 2028.

*With AFP and RTP information. Red Edition, Murilo da Silva.