Turkey’s opposition set to hold power in major cities, partial results show
Al Jazeera
Partial results in local elections show CHP candidates ahead of their AK Party rivals in Ankara and Istanbul.
Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) appears set to retain its control over key cities, according to preliminary partial results from the country’s local elections.
With 49 percent of ballot boxes opened in Istanbul on Sunday, Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from the CHP led with 50.05 percent of the vote against 41.2 percent for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, or AK Party, candidate Murat Kurum.
In Ankara, with 29.2 percent of ballot boxes opened, Mayor Mansur Yavas of CHP led with 58.2 percent against 34.1 percent for the Erdogan-backed candidate.
The CHP was also ahead in Izmir, Turkey’s third city, and a party stronghold.
State-run Anadolu news agency published partial official tallies showing the CHP leading in big cities such as Izmir, Bursa, Antalya and Adana.
