Erdogan's Controlling , AK Party Dealt Major Blow , in Local Elections.<br />On March 31, Turkey's local election saw the controlling <br />Justice and Development (AK) Party register <br />its biggest lost to the nation's main opposition party.<br />On March 31, Turkey's local election saw the controlling <br />Justice and Development (AK) Party register <br />its biggest lost to the nation's main opposition party.<br />CNN reports that the opposition Republican <br />People’s Party (CHP) claimed victories in a <br />number of key cities, including Ankara and Istanbul.<br />The election for city mayors, district mayors and other <br />local level officials saw President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's <br />AK Party lose the popular vote for the first time since 2002.<br />The losses come nearly one year after Erdogan narrowly <br />won re-election in May, securing a close runoff vote <br />victory over opposition leader Kemal Killicdaroglu.<br />The losses come nearly one year after Erdogan narrowly <br />won re-election in May, securing a close runoff vote <br />victory over opposition leader Kemal Killicdaroglu.<br />According to Turkey's High Electoral Council, preliminary <br />results showed the CHP wining 35 out of 81 municipalities, <br />which includes 14 out of 30 of the country's urban areas.<br />State broadcaster TRT said Erdogan's main political <br />rival in the CHP, Ekrem Imamoglu, was reelected as <br />the mayor of Istanbul, earning 51.1% of the vote.<br />The period of <br />one-man rule <br />is over today, Ekrem Imamoglu, CHP Mayor of Istanbul, via CNN.<br />As we celebrate our victory, we send <br />a resounding message to the world:<br />the decline of democracy ends now. <br />Istanbul stands as a beacon of hope, <br />a testament to the resilience of democratic <br />values in the face of rising authoritarianism, Ekrem Imamoglu, CHP Mayor of Istanbul, via CNN.<br />Other major CHP victories were scored in Ankara, where <br />incumbent mayor Mansur Yavas won 60.4% of the vote, <br />and in Izmir, where Cemil Tugay secured 48.9% of the vote.<br />Other major CHP victories were scored in Ankara, where <br />incumbent mayor Mansur Yavas won 60.4% of the vote, <br />and in Izmir, where Cemil Tugay secured 48.9% of the vote.<br />CNN reports that the most recent elections came amid <br />an economic downturn that has persisted despite <br />Erdogan's adoption of more mainstream economic policies.
