Turkey's ruling party loses control of Istanbul

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) took a hit on Sunday, losing the re-run of Istanbul's mayoral election.

Preliminary results show Ekrem Imamoglu of the secularist Republican People's Party, Turkey's main opposition party, won 54 percent of the vote. Imamoglu also won the first election in March, but the results were thrown out after AKP claimed there were irregularities. On Sunday night, Imamoglu vowed to "work in harmony" with Erdogan, and said the people of Istanbul are "opening up a new page" and "on this new page, there will be justice, equality, love."

Many view Erdogan, who served as Istanbul's mayor in the 1990s, as increasingly authoritarian, with little tolerance for opposing views. He once said "whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey," and experts say AKP's loss could lead to an early national election and some top leaders leaving the party. Istanbul is Turkey's largest city and its commercial hub.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up