Turkey’s President Faces Political Setback

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

ISTANBUL (Worthy News) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faced his most significant political challenge in recent memory Tuesday as official results confirmed that his party suffered its worst defeat in more than two decades in this weekend’s local elections.

With most votes counted, Erdogan’s main rival, Ekrem Imamoglu, led by ten percentage points in the mayoral race in Istanbul, Turkey’s most populous city.

His Republican People’s Party (CHP) retained Ankara, the capital, by a resounding margin and gained 15 other mayoral seats in cities nationwide.

Yet the loss of Istanbul suggested a shift among voters demanding reforms analysts suggested.

The nationwide municipal votes on March 31 undermined President Erdogan’s control after two decades of running Turkey, underscoring the NATO military alliance member’s deeply divided political landscape.

It reasserted the opposition as a political force.

OPPOSITION HOPES

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu also reinforced his image as the president’s chief rival.

“Those who do not understand the nation’s message will eventually lose,” Imamoglu, 53, told thousands of jubilant supporters late on Sunday, some chanting for Erdogan to resign.

“Tonight, 16 million Istanbul citizens sent a message to both our rivals and the president,” said the former businessman, who entered politics in 2008 and is now widely touted as a likely presidential challenger.

Erdogan, who in the 1990s was also mayor of his hometown, Istanbul, had campaigned hard ahead of the municipal elections, which analysts described as a gauge of both his support and the opposition’s durability.

It was unclear whether the changes would impact Turkey’s Christian minority, which has experienced persecution and even killings in several parts of the country.

Turkey had also faced international pressure to improve religious and political rights in a nation where journalists and other perceived critics of Erdogan’s perceived authoritarian style have been jailed.

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