ISTANBUL—In a blow to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an opposition candidate declared victory in the Istanbul mayor’s race for a second time June 23 after the government-backed candidate conceded defeat in a high-stakes repeat election.
“Thank you, Istanbul,” former businessman and district mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, 49, said in a televised speech. His supporters were jubilant after unofficial results showed he won a clear majority of the vote.
