I wonder how many of these newly elected politicians will be arrested and jailed in the coming months, in the way that mayors of Kurdish cities were replaced en masse with unelected AKP administrators a few years ago.
I think it's too late for Erdogan, he is probably at the end of his political career. He even said that this will be his last election (though he will probably stay around until 2028).
The opposition gained control of a shit ton of critical territory. Last term for example, the mayor of Istanbul was opposition but the city parliament was not. This time it's both opposition. A lot of large municipalities that used to belong to akp have now switched as well. That's quite a lot of resources taken away from Erdoğan, which is a definite gain for the opposition no matter how you choose to look at it.
With more than 90% of ballot boxes counted, incumbent Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, of the Republican People's Party, or CHP, was leading by a wide margin in Turkey's largest city and economic hub, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The vote was seen as a barometer of Erdogan's popularity as he sought to win back control of key urban areas he lost to the opposition in elections five years ago.
The result came as a boost for the opposition, which was left divided and demoralized after a defeat to Erdogan and his ruling Islamic-oriented Justice and Development Party, or AKP, in last year's presidential and parliamentary elections.
Sinan Ulgen, director of the Istanbul-based Edam think tank, said "the surprising outcome" was due to voters wanting to punish the ruling party over the "depth of an economic malaise."
In previous years, Erdogan's government removed elected pro-Kurdish mayors from office for alleged links to Kurdish militants and replaced them with state-appointed trustees.
Analysts said a strong showing for Erdogan's party would have hardened his resolve to usher in a new constitution — one that would reflect his conservative values and allow him to rule beyond 2028 when his current term ends.
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