Turkish Opposition Sweeps Local Polls, Dealing Blow to Erdogan’s Ruling AKP

After winning presidential elections last year, President Erdogan’s ruling party suffers biggest electoral loss in more than two decades.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the opposition, Republican People's Party's (CHP) mayoral candidate in Istanbul, gestures during a rally in Istanbul, on May 6, 2019. Lefteris Pitarakis/AP Photo

In a blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has swept local elections in Turkey, winning key municipalities across the country.

Cumhuriyet, a pro-opposition daily newspaper, described the outcome as a “historic victory” for the CHP, which claims to espouse Western principles of secular democracy.