Erdogan loses hold over Turkish capital, Istanbul disputed

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

WORLD NEWS MARCH 31, 2019 / 10:36 PM / UPDATED 33 MINUTES AGO

Erdogan loses hold over Turkish capital, Istanbul disputed

Tuvan Gumrukcu, Ece Toksabay
5 MIN READ

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey’s Tayyip Erdogan suffered a severe setback as his ruling AK Party lost control of the capital Ankara for the first time in a local election and he appeared to concede defeat in the country’s largest city, Istanbul.

Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics since coming to power 16 years ago and ruled his country with an ever tighter grip, campaigned relentlessly for two months ahead of Sunday’s vote, which he described as a “matter of survival” for Turkey.

But the president’s daily rallies and overwhelmingly supportive media coverage failed to win over the country’s capital or secure a definitive result in Istanbul, as Turkey’s economic downturn weighed heavily on voters.

Turkish broadcasters said opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate Mansur Yavas had won a clear victory in Ankara, but the vote count in Istanbul was so tight that both parties declared the narrowest of victories.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-election/erdogan-loses-hold-over-turkish-capital-istanbul-disputed-idUSKCN1RD130

[comradebillyboy]

1. Nice to see a real electoral rebuke to Erdogan. He rose to power

from his position as mayor of Istanbul and they rejected him. But hey, in the US all the places with people vote Democrat and Repukes still have the White House and control the Senate. Erdogan has everything outside the big cities like Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.

[nitpicker]

2. Link to DW

https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-elections-opposition-claims-victory-in-ankara-pulls-ahead-in-istanbul/a-48137210

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Turkey election: Erdogan disputes results in major cities

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party is contesting the slim opposition victory in the country's biggest city, Istanbul.

Sunday's municipal elections also delivered opposition CHP wins in the capital, Ankara, and in Izmir.

The AKP alleges irregularities, and is challenging the results in every Istanbul district. Officially the CHP is ahead by 25,000 votes in the city.
...
Parts of the largely government-controlled media are reporting allegations that stolen ballots hindered the party's performance.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-47785095