Erdogan Acknowledges Opposition's Victory in Historic Elections
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged the historic victory of the opposition in Sunday's municipal elections, describing it as a pivotal moment for his long standing administration, in power since 2002, as reported by Agerpres.ro.
The nearly completed count of 99% of votes nationwide indicates a significant electoral setback for the ruling AKP (Islamist-conservative) party led by Erdogan, marking one of its most substantial defeats in the past two decades.
The main opposition party, CHP (social-democrat), declared triumph in Turkey's largest cities, Istanbul and Ankara, as well as in several others, including Bursa, a major industrial hub under AKP dominance since 2004.
The final results, to be officially announced by the High Electoral Commission (YSK) on Monday, are anticipated to confirm these outcomes, already acknowledged by key stakeholders, including the head of state.
Addressing a subdued and unusually quiet gathering at his party's headquarters in Ankara, President Erdogan pledged to "respect the decision of the nation."
Shortly prior to this, Ekrem Imamoglu, the incumbent mayor of Istanbul—a media-savvy and charismatic figure in his fifties—announced his reelection even before the official results were declared, reaffirming his leadership in Turkey's most populous city, which he claimed victory over in 2019.
President Erdogan, aged 70 and with 21 years in office, personally engaged in the campaign, particularly focusing on Istanbul, often referred to as the country's economic and cultural jewel. Istanbul, where Erdogan served as mayor during the 1990s, shifted to the opposition in 2019.
The municipal elections took place throughout Turkey on Sunday.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
