Tabnak – While the Turkish government as hopeful to use the results of the recent local elections to strengthen its political base throughout the country, unexpected losses in major cities has complicated the prospect of its future political moves. After the capital, the opposition managed to take over also Istanbul as the second most important Turkish city.
According to the local media, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party has suffered heavy losses in nationwide local elections, a sign that rising levels of unemployment and the backlash from last year's currency crisis are starting to take their toll on his years-long domination over Turkey's politics.
Turks voted to elect scores of mayors, city council members, and other local officials on Sunday, in what the Turkish head of state had described as a matter of "survival" for the country and his Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has ruled Turkey for more than 16 years.
Initial vote counts reported by Turkish media show that the AKP has lost the mayoral race in the capital Ankara to the opposition Republican People’s party (CHP), a first in the past 25 years.
With 99 percent of the ballot boxes counted, Mansur Yavas, the candidate of the opposition alliance, was winning with 50.89 percent of the votes in the capital while the AKP was lagging behind with 47.06 percent, state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing preliminary results.
The CHP also claimed victory over AKP in its Aegean coastal stronghold of Izmir, the country's third largest city. The latest reports also indicate that Istanbul has become a scene for AKP’s loss as well.
A defeat in Istanbul, where Erdogan launched his political career and previously served as mayor, would deliver a symbolic shock to the president. In a speech in Ankara, Erdogan hinted that the AKP may have lost control of Istanbul. "Even if our people gave away the mayorship, they gave the districts to the AK Party," he said.
Erdogan also said he would now turn his attention to fixing the economy without compromising free market rules ahead of a national election scheduled for 2023. "We have a long period ahead where we will carry out economic reforms without compromising on the rules of the free-market economy,” Erdogan said.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi congratulated Turkey’s government, nation and political parties on successful holding of local and municipal elections.
“The peaceful holding of elections and the high turnout of Turkish citizens was another proof of rule of democracy in the friendly and brotherly country, Turkey,” he added.
Qassemi also wished further welfare, success and development for Turkey in light of the elections, underscoring that democracy in the regional states would guarantee the region’s independence, security and stability.
