With the Turkish opposition’s stunning electoral upset on Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party are finally reaping the consequences of ill-considered macroeconomic policies. But the real winner of these critical local elections may be Turkish democracy.
ISTANBUL – To the surprise of many observers, Turkey’s opposition won big in Sunday’s local elections, a result that is certain to reshape the country’s domestic political dynamics. The center-left Republican People’s Party (CHP) captured 37.8% of the national vote, dealing a blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which received 35.5%. More importantly, CHP mayors will now govern 35 of Turkey’s 81 provinces – including its ten largest metropolitan areas – with a total population of 53 million. By contrast, the AKP won only 24 provinces, representing 19.5 million people.
ISTANBUL – To the surprise of many observers, Turkey’s opposition won big in Sunday’s local elections, a result that is certain to reshape the country’s domestic political dynamics. The center-left Republican People’s Party (CHP) captured 37.8% of the national vote, dealing a blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which received 35.5%. More importantly, CHP mayors will now govern 35 of Turkey’s 81 provinces – including its ten largest metropolitan areas – with a total population of 53 million. By contrast, the AKP won only 24 provinces, representing 19.5 million people.