Erdogan set back in key regional elections

What happened

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffered a political setback Sunday after the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) flipped or held Turkey's five biggest cities, including Istanbul, and took the largest share of votes nationwide for the first time since the 1970s. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu beat the candidate of Erdogan's Justice and Development party (AKP) 51% to 40% despite a push by Erdogan to win back control of Turkey's most important city.

Who said what

"Istanbul has given its message," Imamoglu told supporters. "Turkey will blossom into a new era in democracy as of tomorrow." Erdogan, who won reelection in 2023, said he and his allies are disappointed and "will examine the reasons for this setback."

The commentary

This was "the most decisive opposition victory of the last quarter century," Selim Sazak of Ankara's Sanda Global consultancy told The Wall Street Journal. The unexpectedly large win will "inject new life into the CHP" and cement Imamoglu as opposition star, Selin Nasi, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics, told Politico. "He is the only politician who succeeded in beating Erdogan three times."

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What next?

Imamoglu will be a strong presidential contender in 2028. Erdogan said this would be his last term, but critics said a victory in this election "would have encouraged him to revise the constitution so he could stand again," the BBC said. "After such a dramatic defeat that is looking very unlikely."