Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu declared victory in Sunday's local election, marking a significant moment in Turkish politics as he defeated the candidate supported by President Tayyip Erdogan.
In his victory speech, Imamoglu expressed gratitude to the 90,000 people involved in the electoral process and the 14 municipalities that collaborated throughout the election period, emphasizing Istanbul's success in this democratic exercise. The election results underscore a challenging period for Erdogan and his AK Party (AKP), which have governed Turkey for over two decades.
The Republican People's Party (CHP) also retained Ankara and won additional mayoral seats in nine other significant cities nationwide.
