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Türkiye: President Erdoğan’s opposition retains Istanbul town hall
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party lost the municipal election in Istanbul, one of Turkey’s largest cities. Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu appears to be his main opponent.
(franceinfo)
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party lost the municipal election in Istanbul, one of Turkey’s largest cities. Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu appears to be his main opponent.
Acclaimed by his supporters, Ekrem Imamoglu savors his victory. Five years after his first election, the mayor of Istanbul has just repeated the feat. Voters in Istanbul, the country’s largest city, once again chose its opposition party, the CHP. “You sent a message, we will see if they will hear it or not (…) today the people said: ‘I am for peace, tranquility, democracy and justice’he declared after the election.
Among the Turks’ favorite political figures
A speech like the one that poses as a direct rival for the Turkish president, to whom Ekrem Imamoglu had inflicted a scathing setback in 2019. He then put an end to 25 years of domination by Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his camp on the megalopolis.
His political choices, which combine social and environmental initiatives, seem to have won over residents. A practicing Muslim but member of a secular party, the former businessman appeals beyond his party. Charismatic and media-savvy, the mayor of Istanbul is regularly ranked among the Turks’ favorite political figures.
In his camp, on the other hand, some sometimes criticize him for caring more about his political career than his constituents. He is also in the sights of power. He was sentenced in 2022 to more than two years in prison for insulting members of the High Electoral Committee. This sentence had ruled him out of the presidential race in 2023.
