The Republican People’s Party (CHP) of Turkey is leading in local elections in several critical cities, including Istanbul and Ankara, according to initial results reported by NTV broadcaster. With over 51% of the vote count completed, the CHP appears set to maintain its stronghold in these key metropolitan areas.
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In Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, incumbent Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu of the CHP has secured 50.53% of the votes with 79% of ballot boxes counted, outpacing Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate Murat Kurum, who has received 40.72%. Ankara, the nation’s capital, also shows a favorable trend for the CHP, as incumbent Mayor Mansur Yavaş holds a commanding lead with 58.98% of the votes against AKP’s Turgut Altınok, who has garnered 32.9%.
These elections mark a significant moment as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s AKP party seeks to regain control of both cities, which it lost in the 2019 local elections. Despite Erdoğan’s reelection as president in May of the previous year and his alliance’s parliamentary majority, the local election outcomes underscore the shifting political landscape in some of Turkey’s most influential cities.