Ankara: The party of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has lost control of the capital, Ankara, in local elections in what is being seen as a setback to his 16 years in power.
But both his AKP and the opposition claimed to have won the mayoralty of the largest city, Istanbul.
Nationally, the president’s AKP-led alliance has won more than 51% of the vote in the municipal elections.
“If there are any shortcomings, it is our duty to correct them,” he said.
Mr Erdogan had previously said the poll was about the “survival” of the country and his party.
The election came amid an economic downturn and was widely seen as a referendum on his leadership.
More than 57 million people in the country were registered to vote for mayors and councillors.
Turkish media said the secularist Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate Mansur Yavas had won a clear victory in Ankara.
However, both the CHP and Mr Erdogan’s AKP – or Justice and Development Party – claimed victory by a slender margin in the contest for mayor of Istanbul, which has been governed by AKP
CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu said he had won by nearly 28,000 votes while the AKP said its candidate, former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, was ahead by 4,000 votes.
Both candidates reportedly received more than four million votes each.
The CHP also said it had held Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city.
“The people have voted in favour of democracy. They have chosen democracy,” CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said.
Meanwhile, Mr Erdogan, speaking to supporters in Ankara, hinted that the AKP may have lost control of Istanbul.
“Even if our people gave away the mayoralty, they gave the districts to the AK Party,” he said.
He vowed to focus his leadership on the Turkish economy ahead of national elections scheduled to take place in 2023.
Prominent journalist Rusen Cakir said the vote was “as historic as that of 1994”, referring to the year Mr Erdogan was elected mayor of Istanbul.
“It is a declaration that a page that was opened 25 years ago is being turned,” he said,
Trending
- Peaceful protests hold across AJK against worst rigging in by-elections
- Parliamentary party under the chairmanship of PM AJK holds a meeting
- All political parties and the opposition condemn fake and bogus cases against journalists in AJK
- Inflation in Pakistan
- “The world – A war zone”
- Political Meltdown in Pakistan And Way Forward
- ‘‘Hate speech’’ Modi might be disqualified
- Amanullah Khan: Remembering the Gilgit Rebel