https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68704375
Ekrem Imamoglu, who has held this position for the last five years, wins the mayoral elections in Istanbul, vote count data shows. Imamoglu represents the opposition Republican People's Party (RPP).
After almost all the votes were counted, Imamoglu defeated the ruling Justice and Development Party candidate Murat Kurum, ahead by about 10%.
Focus was on Istanbul, which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the AKP hoped to win from the opposition, as well as Ankara and Antalya, which are led by opposition politicians.
In other major cities of the country, Ankara, Antalya and Izmir, the opposition is also winning.
“Based on the data we received, I can say that our citizens’ faith in us has been rewarded,” Imamoglu told reporters at the RPP’s Istanbul headquarters. “The picture we see now makes us very happy.”
“The voting process was completed without any problems, except for a few incidents,” Ahmet Yener, head of the Supreme Electoral Council, told reporters.
The elections took place against the backdrop of raging inflation and a massive devaluation of the Turkish lira.
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