Turkish Opposition Declares Victory In Ankara. Instabul Race Undecided

Reuters: Turkish opposition declares Ankara win, Istanbul result disputed

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey’s main opposition party said it won control of Ankara in Sunday’s local elections, defeating President Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party in the capital for the first time, and challenged his party’s claim to have held Istanbul by the narrowest margin.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the opposition secularist Republican People’s Party (CHP), said CHP candidates took Turkey’s two main cities from the AKP and also held its stronghold of Izmir on the Aegean coast.

Defeat for Erdogan’s party in Ankara would be a significant setback for the president, who campaigned relentlessly for two months ahead of a vote he described as a “matter of survival” for Turkey. Losing Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city and a platform for his own political career, would be a greater blow.

With more than 92 percent of ballots opened, the mayoral candidate of the CHP, Mansur Yavas, had secured 50.6 percent, giving him a 3.4-percentage-point lead over his AKP rival.

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More News On Turkey's Municipal Elections

Turkey’s ruling party leads local elections but loses Ankara -- AP
Erdogan's Alliance Loses Ankara as Fight Brews Over Istanbul -- Bloomberg
Erdogan bloc 'loses Ankara' in local polls; Istanbul race tight -- Al Jazeera
Partial results: Turkey's main opposition party candidate leads in Ankara -- Euronews
Local elections in Turkey seen as test for Erdogan -- France 24