“Preliminary results show the opposition's mayoral candidates winning comfortably in the capital Ankara and narrowly taking Istanbul, wrenching Turkey's political and economic centers from Erdoğan's grasp by tapping into widespread discontent fueled by an economic downturn,” said Politico. “The president, however, has not conceded defeat in either city and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) is disputing the results, citing alleged irregularities.”
Erdoğan’s disappearance from public view since a late Sunday night speech has unnerved his opponents and left them worrying about his next move, according to Politico, which cited Erdoğan calling snap elections after losing single party rule in 2015 and his threats this year to dismiss elected officials suspected of wrongdoing.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate for Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu urged Erdoğan to gracefully end the standoff and declare him the winner.
“I am calling on my president to show absolute care in this process, to resolve this situation for the benefit of our country and region,” he said on Monday.
“For the opposition...the vote has been a huge morale boost, demonstrating that after 16 years in power, Erdoğan can be beaten,” said Politico. “Losing his hometown is a particularly bitter pill for the president, who frequently evokes the Turkish adage that ‘whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey.’”
Turkey’s economy is in recession following a sharp drop in the lira and a jump in food prices. In his Sunday night speech Erdoğan pledged to force the economy back to growth and hinted at campaign mistakes.
“We can’t blame this on our people, we have to look at ourselves,” he said. “If we have shortcomings, we will fix these.”
Now, Erdoğan has four years to regain voter confidence before the next election in 2023.
“It’s hard to think of historical examples where leaders who have become more authoritarian suddenly turn around and liberalise, but Erdoğan has proven himself to be a very clever, pragmatic politician,” said Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “It’s not impossible that he finds a way to turn this around.”