President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was hit with a stunning political defeat on Monday as his party lost control of the capital, Ankara, in local elections.<br />The results of the municipal balloting on Sunday show the main opposition Republican People's Party is also slightly ahead in the contest for mayor of Istanbul.<br />The results reflect Erdogan's weakened support as Turkey's economy has fallen into a recession.<br />The president's AKP Party is challenging the result in both cities.<br />If the electoral authorities confirm the results of the election, it would be the first change of power in 25 years for Turkey's major cities. <br />
