Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan conceded defeat on Sunday in the country\u2019s local elections, saying the vote was a \u201cturning point\u201d for his party after two decades in power. Partial results from across the nation of 85 million people showed major advances for the Republican People\u2019s Party (CHP) at the expense of Erdogan\u2019s Justice and Development Party (AKP). Istanbul\u2019s mayor, the opposition\u2019s Ekrem Imamoglu, claimed re-election with nearly all ballot boxes opened, telling a euphoric crowd of supporters: \u201cTomorrow is a new spring day for our country.\u201d Final results are expected to be released on Monday (today) by the country\u2019s electoral commission. Erdogan, 70, had launched an all-out personal campaign to win back Istanbul, the economic powerhouse where he was once mayor. Rampant inflation and an economic crisis have, however, hit confidence in the ruling party. Large crowds filled the square outside the opposition party\u2019s Istanbul city headquarters waving Turkish flags and lighting torches to celebrate the result. After casting his vote, Imamoglu emerged to applause and chants of \u201cEverything will be fine\u201d, the slogan he used when he first took the city hall from the AKP in 2019. The 52-year-old is increasingly seen as the biggest rival to Erdogan\u2019s AKP ahead of the next presidential election in 2028. In Ankara, mayor Mansur Yavas \u2014 also of the CHP \u2014 claimed victory in front of large crowds of supporters, declaring \u201cthe elections are over, we will continue to serve Ankara\u201d. \u201cThose who have been ignored have sent a clear message to those who rule this country,\u201d he added. Yavas led with 58.6 per cent of the vote to 33.5pc for his AKP opponent, with 46.4pc of ballot boxes opened. Opposition supporters celebrated victory in Izmir, Turkiye\u2019s third-largest city, as well as in the southern city of Antalya. Some AKP stronghold towns were at risk of being lost, results indicated. \u201cVoters have chosen to change the face of Turkiye,\u201d said CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel as the results emerged.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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