Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged on Sunday evening that his party did not achieve the desired results in the local elections held in Turkey. In a speech before a crowd of supporters at the ruling Justice and Development Party’s headquarters, Erdogan stated, "The local elections are not the end for us but rather a turning point."
He added, "Today's elections showed that we are losing part of our popularity across the country, and we will analyze the results and review ourselves. We will hold ourselves accountable and study the messages coming from the people." Erdogan continued, "Of course, we will respect the nation's decision, and we will avoid stubbornness and acting against the national will or doubting the strength of the nation." He noted that the election cycle dating back to May, which had strained the Turkish economy, has now concluded.
Meanwhile, the Turkish opposition is making significant strides towards achieving major victories in municipal elections across the country, extending to Anatolia, while maintaining control over Istanbul and Ankara, at the expense of the Justice and Development Party led by President Erdogan.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, from the Republican People's Party, announced that he will retain his position, which he has held since 2019. In Ankara, the mayor from the same party, Mansur Yavaş, also confirmed he would keep his role while vote counting was still ongoing.
The head of the Republican People's Party, the largest opposition group in Turkey, Özgür Özel, stated on Sunday evening that "voters have chosen to change the face of Turkey" after 22 years of the conservative Justice and Development Party's dominance.
Alongside İzmir, the third-largest city in the country and a stronghold of the Republican People's Party, and Antalya (south), where opposition supporters began celebrating victory in the streets, the Republican People's Party is on track for a significant win in Anatolia. The party is leading in partial election counts in regional capitals that have long been held by the Justice and Development Party.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled the country for over two decades, heavily invested in the election campaign, especially in Istanbul, which he previously governed in the 1990s before it shifted to opposition in 2019. However, it appears that his intense efforts were not effective.
