Erdogan’s AKP Nominates Murat Kurum for Istanbul Mayor Race

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Sunday that Murat Kurum, a 47-year-old former environment minister, will be the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) candidate for the upcoming Istanbul mayoral election. This crucial contest, set for March, will see Kurum challenge the current mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The AKP’s decision marks an attempt to reclaim control over Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, which they lost to the CHP in 2019, ending their nearly 25-year dominance in the metropolis. The selection of Kurum is seen as a strategic move by Erdoğan’s AKP to strengthen its position in key metropolitan areas across the country.

Alongside Istanbul, the AKP has its sights set on winning back the capital, Ankara, where it suffered a defeat to a CHP candidate in the last election. The party has so far announced 26 candidates for various metropolitan municipalities, with more nominations for the upcoming polls expected to be unveiled soon. The Istanbul mayoral race, in particular, is being closely watched as a barometer of the AKP’s current standing and influence in Turkish politics.