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TURKEY-VOTE
Turkey opposition deals blow to Erdogan in Istanbul win
ISTANBUL, June 24, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Turkey’s opposition revelled Monday in
a landslide win in Istanbul’s re-run mayoral vote — a blow for President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan that even some pro-government media called a victory for
democracy.
Ekrem Imamoglu, a little-known district mayor at the start of the year,
won the election by more than 777,000 votes, up from just 13,000 in the first
election in March, which was annulled over controversial claims of fraud.
It was a rare chance to celebrate for the opposition after 25 years of
rule by Islamic conservatives in Istanbul.
And it was a rare blow to Erdogan, who has held national power since 2003.
In the traditionally left-wing neighbourhood of Besiktas, thousands
partied late into night, clogging the streets, waving beers and Turkish
flags.
“It wasn’t right to repeat this election, but the fact that it was won
with such a gap is even better for Istanbul,” said 45-year-old Servan Soydan
as he walked his dog on Monday.
There was less jubilation in the media, which has been almost entirely put
under the thumb of the government in recent years.
“Istanbul has voted,” read the subdued headline of the Yeni Safak
newspaper.
The fiercely pro-government Sabah also downplayed Imamoglu’s success but
sought a slightly more positive spin, saying: “Democracy Wins”.
– Victim status –
Many analysts say the decision to call a re-run of the election was a
massive miscalculation by the ruling party, turning Imamoglu into a victim
and a household name.
“The Turkish nation has always defended and supported victims. I believe
it is because they couldn’t explain why there was a cancellation that they
lost this way, with this big punishment,” said Istanbulite Naziye Durmus on
Monday.
Imamoglu’s “massive victory is a lesson in democracy: people want their
rights respected,” tweeted the former EU ambassador to Turkey Marc Pierini,
now with the Carnegie Europe think tank.
Imamoglu took 54 percent of the vote against the ruling party’s candidate
Binali Yildirim, a former prime minister.
At a huge rally in his stronghold in western Istanbul late Sunday,
Imamoglu said: “It was not a single group or party, but the whole of Istanbul
and Turkey that won this election.”
Erdogan conceded defeat on Twitter, saying simply: “I congratulate Ekrem
Imamoglu who has won the election based on preliminary results.”
The president’s party remains the most popular nationwide, but has been
hurt lately by slowing growth and rising prices.
It also lost control of the capital Ankara at the local elections in
March.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1516 hrs