The main opposition party in Turkey has claimed significant election victories in Istanbul and Ankara.
The results shocked the incumbent President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He had hoped to gain victory in the cities, and he led the campaign to win Istanbul.
However, Ekrem Imamoglu scored a victory for the secular opposition CHP.
Istanbul has a population of almost 16 million, and the incumbent mayor won more than 50% of the vote, over 10 points ahead of the president’s AK party.
For the first time, the president’s party suffered its first defeat at the ballot box since he came to power 21 years ago.
In Ankara, the capital, opposition mayor Mansur Yavas was so far ahead of his rival that he declared victory when less than half the votes were in. The CHP was also on course to win in many of Turkey’s other big cities.
President Erdogan acknowledged that the election had not gone as he had wished. However, he told his supporters that it would not mark “an end for us but rather a turning point.”
He pledged to respect the people’s will.
