Erdogan faces serious setback in Turkish local elections as AKP loses in Ankara, Istanbul

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, ARMENPRESS. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing a major political setback after his Justice and Development (AKP) party lost control of the capital, Ankara, as well as Istanbul, among other major cities in the March 31 local elections.

In Istanbul, the opposition People's Republican Party (CHP) received 48.79 percent of votes, narrowly ahead of the AKP with 48.51 percent. AKP’s candidate in Istanbul was Binali Yildirim.

Across the country, the President's AKP party, in alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), held 51.63 percent of the overall vote, while the opposition alliance took 37.55 percent, according to preliminary results reported by Anadolu.

In Ankara, the opposition CHP won more than 50 percent of votes while the AKP trailed on around 47 percent, state news agency Anadolu said. It is the first time in 25 years that the AK party has lost its grip on the capital.

CHP has also won in Izmir.

Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan