Turkey's opposition strikes blow to Erdogan with Istanbul mayoral win

[sammuel]

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Turkey's opposition strikes blow to Erdogan with Istanbul mayoral win

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey’s opposition has dealt President Tayyip Erdogan a stinging blow by winning control of Istanbul in a re-run mayoral election, breaking his aura of invincibility and delivering a message from voters unhappy over his policies.

Ekrem Imamoglu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) had secured more than 54% of votes, with nearly all ballots opened, Turkish broadcasters said - a far wider victory margin than his narrow win three months ago.

The previous result was annulled after protests from Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party, which said there had been widespread voting irregularities. The decision to re-run the vote was criticized by Western allies and caused uproar among domestic opponents who said Turkey’s democracy was under threat.

On Sunday, tens of thousands of Imamoglu supporters celebrated in the streets of Istanbul after the former businessman triumphed over Erdogan’s handpicked candidate by almost 800,000 votes.

“In this city today, you have fixed democracy. Thank you Istanbul,” Imamoglu told supporters who made heart signs with their hands, in an expression of the inclusive election rhetoric that has been the hallmark of his campaigning.

“We came to embrace everyone,” Imamoglu said. “We will build democracy in this city, we will build justice. In this beautiful city, I promise, we will build the future.”

The High Electoral Board has yet to announce the formal results, but Erdogan has already congratulated Imamoglu for his victory and Imamoglu’s rival, Binali Yildirim, of the ruling AK Party wished him luck as mayor barely two hours after polls closed.

WANING SUPPORT

Erdogan has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and then as president, becoming the country’s most dominant politician since its founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, nearly a century ago.

His AK Party has strong support among pious and conservative Turks and its stewardship of Turkey’s economy through a decade and a half of construction-fueled growth helped Erdogan win more than a dozen national and local elections.

But economic recession and a financial crisis have eroded that support, and Erdogan’s ever-tighter control over government has alarmed some voters.

Imamoglu won support even in the traditionally pious Istanbul districts, once known as AK Party strongholds, ending the 25-year-long Islamist rule in the country’s largest city.

“This re-run (election) was one to put an end to the dictatorship,” said Gulcan Demirkaya, a 48-year-old housewife in Istanbul’s AKP-leaning Kagithane district. “God willing, I would like to see him as the president in five years’ time. The one-man rule should come to an end.”

The results are likely to trigger a new chapter in Turkish politics, with the country’s top three cities now held by the opposition, and could trigger cracks within Erdogan’s AK Party, while bringing the economic troubles more to the center.

“This is definitely going to have an impact on the future of Turkish politics given the margin of victory. It’s alarming sign for the AKP establishment,” said Sinan Ulgen, visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe in Brussels and former Turkish diplomat.

Analysts say the loss could set off a Cabinet reshuffle in Ankara and adjustments to foreign policy. It could even trigger a national election earlier than 2023 as scheduled, although the leader of the AKP’s nationalist ally played down that prospect.

“Turkey should now return to its real agenda, the election process should close,” MHP party leader Devlet Bahceli said. “Talking of an early election would be among the worst things that can be done to our country.”

The uncertainty over the fate of Istanbul and potential delays in broader economic reforms have kept financial markets on edge. Threats of sanctions by the United States if Erdogan goes ahead with plans to install Russian missile defenses have also weighed on the markets.

Turkey’s lira tumbled after the decision to annul the March vote and is down nearly 10% this year in part on election jitters. It edged higher on Sunday night.


https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...dogan-with-istanbul-mayoral-win-idUSKCN1TP04C


Turkey's opposition celebrates Istanbul win

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[sammuel]

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Turkey’s President Was Just Rejected by His Own Hometown

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffered his biggest political defeat yet on Sunday night after his ruling AK Party lost control of Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul.

With almost all the votes counted, main opposition party candidate Ekrem Imamoglu had amassed a huge lead of more than 750,000 votes in the race to be Istanbul’s new mayor, a huge increase on the 13,000 vote lead he recorded in the original ballot in March

Erdogan and the AKP called for a re-run of that vote, citing irregularities, but the result on Sunday showed a decisive rejection of Erdogan in his hometown.

Erdogan conceded defeat on Twitter Sunday night, congratulating the winner.

“The national will was manifested today one more time. I congratulate Ekrem Imamoglu, who won the election, according to unofficial results.”



Erdogan, who previously said “whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey,” had thrown his weight behind Binali Yildirim, a founding member of the AKP and a former prime minister. But it was not enough to persuade an electorate who have grown disenchanted with Erdogan as a result of rising inflation and unemployment as a result of the economy dipping into recession.

“The elections broke down the common beliefs that Erdogan cannot be beaten by the ballot box, that he is a strategic genius, that he will always find a way to get elected,” Esra Özyürek, Associate Professor in Contemporary Turkish Studies at London School of Economics, told VICE News.

The result marks the end of 25 years of AKP control in the Turkish capital and could signal a threat to Erdogan’s 16-year rule.

“There is no doubt that Erdogan has hit a glass ceiling and his votes are declining. The message from the voters is clear — they have had enough with political pressures and economic mismanagement,” Asli Aydintasbas, a senior fellow with the European Council for Foreign Relations, told VICE News.


In his victory speech in front of thousands of supporters in Istanbul on Sunday night, Imamoglu said those who voted for him had “fixed democracy.” He also called for a different kind of leadership to the increasingly authoritarian style of leadership that Erdogan, who was initially seen as a reformer, has ushered in in recent years.

“We are opening up a new page in Istanbul,” Imamoglu said. “On this new page, there will be justice, equality, love. 16 million Istanbul residents refreshed our belief in democracy and confidence in justice.”

He also added that he was “ready to work in harmony” with Erdogan.

While Erdogan retains a large support base, he is becoming increasingly isolated as his inner circle defects. Both his predecessor as president and a former prime minister are preparing to launch breakaway parties, leaving Erdogan facing two choices: to double down on his authoritarian bent or go back to reforms and democracy.

“The latter would not only save the economy but also help increase his tenure — the question is, will he?,” Aydintasbas said. “Many argue that he no longer has cadres or the willpower to return to democracy. We just have to wait and see.”

Erdogan has shown in the past a willingness to adapt to a changing political climate, and he will have to do so again if he wants to remain in power, Özyürek said.

“Erdogan proved himself to be a very pragmatic leader. The only viable choice in front of him is to share his power and by doing so democratize and normalize the country. If he chooses the other option, which is further tightening his iron grip and escalating tensions, he will make his end only quicker.”


https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/3k3ez8/turkeys-president-was-just-rejected-by-his-own-hometown


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[ArabianEmpires&Caliphates]

Maybe more importantly that MB (wrong to even call it that) regional project with Qatar has proven as an equivalent failure as well everywhere and helped ruin Turkey’s relations with most of the region. Now internal setbacks in an already difficult time for Turkey on numerous fronts.

As long as there will be no harmful attempts of interference in Arab countries, it is not my business what he is doing, but I would suggest him to have other priorities starting internally.

Never have I seen a more populist, opportunistic and hypocritical leader (excluding the Mullah regime obviously) fool so many Muslims in recent years (now most have woken up) but it just says everything about the sad state of the Muslim world and its by large incompetent leaders and regimes.

 

[Rukarl]

Maybe more importantly that MB (wrong to even call it that) regional project with Qatar has proven as an equivalent failure as well everywhere and helped ruin Turkey’s relations with most of the region. Now internal setbacks in an already difficult time for Turkey on numerous fronts.

As long as there will be no harmful attempts of interference in Arab countries, it is not my business what he is doing, but I would suggest him to have other priorities starting internally.

Never have I seen a more populist, opportunistic and hypocritical leader (excluding the Mullah regime obviously) fool so many Muslims in recent years (now most have woken up) but it just says everything about the sad state of the Muslim world and its by large incompetent leaders and regimes.

Erdogan is a sweet angel compared to the Mullahs

 

[ArabianEmpires&Caliphates]

Erdogan is a sweet angel compared to the Mullahs

No fan at all of the Mullah’s to put it mildly (speaking only from a perspective of their “friends” and allies/proxies in the Arab world (a few Arab countries) and what Arab politicians aligned to that regime is doing of incompetence to turn their countries into trash - Iraq and South Lebanon great examples, Syria another). However at least they tend to stick to their allies mostly.

Erdogan on one hand is switching allegiance and allies as often as others are changing their socks. Not even going to talk about the whole farce and contradiction of the “MB” nonsense and his handling of the “Kurdish question”, Syria, “KRG” (Barzaniatan).

Anyway it was not about who is worse or better but more about the massive blind support that Erdogan once had in the region. In Arab countries people have little clue about him or his policies (real ones) and only hear his populist speeches related to Islam which are contradictions in itself.

No doubt that he has done well as well (especially the first few years of power) but his personal struggle with the previous Kemalist regimes of Turkey (he was jailed too) should not be and cannot be copied directly to other Muslim countries where there is not that whole contradiction or divide between a 100 year old foreign imposed system (secularism based on the French model mixed with 100 year old “Turkish/Turkic” nationalism, despite the fact that only a tiny amount of Turks actually have Turkic blood) that has nothing to do with Ottoman culture which was largely Arab/Islamic in nature (language, script, culture, bureaucracy based on the previous Abbasid Caliphate, legitimacy, titles, lands, population, cosmopolitan, pan-Islamic etc.).

In no other area of the Muslim world (to date) did such a fundamental change of culture (total opposites too) change that quickly and drastically. With the people having had no say as well.

Hence the whole previous hijab etc. ban in universities etc. Such a controversy is completely foreign to Muslim countries where that is not/was never an issue to begin with.

 

[Kamil_baku]

Actually. i can tell you from Turkish view point. Erdogan didnt loose his supporters. Still most of the people in Turkey loves his foreign policy and his character. But, they dont want him to be only one in power and they believe people near him, using his popularity to do wrongdoings. everybody also wanted to test Erdogans attitude towards democracy.. He actually won lots of heart in this election as he accepted losing the election and no problem about it.. It will also stop any kind of protest from Turkish people in the future as they saw that they and untop him with election, no need to violence..
As i said, most of the Turkish people still trust him and he will be choosen like a president again if there is an election. But, people really wanted to give a try to other people as they will be more enerjectic that AKP candidate who was old

 

[Beast]

Erdogan will declare this election is fraud too and void it.

 

[hussain0216]

Maybe more importantly that MB (wrong to even call it that) regional project with Qatar has proven as an equivalent failure as well everywhere and helped ruin Turkey’s relations with most of the region. Now internal setbacks in an already difficult time for Turkey on numerous fronts.

As long as there will be no harmful attempts of interference in Arab countries, it is not my business what he is doing, but I would suggest him to have other priorities starting internally.

Never have I seen a more populist, opportunistic and hypocritical leader (excluding the Mullah regime obviously) fool so many Muslims in recent years (now most have woken up) but it just says everything about the sad state of the Muslim world and its by large incompetent leaders and regimes.

Compared to the idiot Arab rulers Erdogan is a saint

 

[Indos]

Erdogan has become more authoritarian recently, particularly after the failed coup. He will lose if he act like the last 2-3 years. He needs to make piece with Gulen as well.

 

[ArabianEmpires&Caliphates]

Compared to the idiot Arab rulers Erdogan is a saint

There are 20 + Arab rulers (many more in fact) as there are 20 + Arab countries. Some are worse, some similar while others are better. Just within the confederation of UAE this can be seen as an example depending on the emirate. Does not change the fact that most of those leaders (Arab, Muslim etc.) are trash as I wrote initially and trying to make one trash shine brighter than the other is not going to work. As we all can see in the real world.

Even if he was in some imaginary galaxy a "saint" compared to Arab leaders it is of no importance to KSA, Arab countries or Arabs. Internal political affairs of Turkey has no interest to me nor is it my business or that of any foreigner (you included). My comments were related to the political behavior of his that I have noticed in relation to Arab states and I am saying that knowing fully well that his wife is an ethnic Turkish Arab, that he is generally pro-Arab etc. I have nothing against him personally either as I do not know him. All I am judging is his political decisions in the region and his populism, hypocrisy and him changing alliances and viewpoints as often as people change socks. Even in a region devoid of good leaders and politicians by large, he is an incredible opportunist.

I always found you self-proclaimed "Islamists" in the West funny. You often curse Western societies yet live in them and enjoy all their benefits while you could easily migrate back "home" or to actual Muslim nations. Hard to take seriously.

This reminds me of Erdogan trying to come off as "anti-Israeli" while ties under his rule with Israel reached untold heights until the fallout after those Turkish civilians were killed in the waters of Israel. Yet trade, business etc. continues to this day.

Basically what I dislike is when a leader (opportunist, hypocritical and power hungry) is speaking with different tongues. Saying one thing to his own public and another to Arab publics etc. He is a head of state of an openly secular state where there are open gay prides, prostitution is legal, alcohol is legal, millions of tourists from across the world are coming to have "fun" etc. yet in the Arab world (say Egypt) he wants and wanted a guy like Morsi to rule. In what world does that make sense? I am not even commenting on whether the MB, Morsi are good or bad because they are not any different to the other power hungry elements in the region.

Erdogan has become more authoritarian recently, particularly after the failed coup. He will lose if he act like the last 2-3 years. He needs to make piece with Gulen as well.

Thanks for mentioning Gulen bro. His supposed "teacher" yet he fell out with him and for 3+ years in a row is blaming and inventing every conspiracy in the book using the "Gulen excuse" to silence the opposition. Yet you will find him hold beautiful speeches about democracy in Europe when he tried to make the EU accept Turkey. Just a perfect example of a power hungry person that will use every trick in the book to gain and retain power with no morals while claiming to have them contrary to other Muslim regimes that he is bashing often. This is often the case with people who rise up from nothing like Erdogan and even more so if they have been wronged (jailed) as him in the past.

I understand that you will have blind supporters of him on PDF (much less than once) who equal leaders with entire countries and their people, lol. Watch that Hussain guy get angry due to my post, lol, even though I wrote nothing but facts.

If this is the best that the Muslim world has to offer (apparently to some) we are in deep, deep trouble quite frankly and with all due respect.

 

[Goku]

Erdogan is in power since last 16 years , how long does he intend to stay in power?power corrupts , absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Erdogan's biggest mistake was to antagonize the US on whom your entire economy is dependent , now they are screwing him.

 

[Timur]

Heeeeeeeey we made plus points in Germany and Israel they are with us uuuh I mean CHP

A fool who would think that this party would bring any good

 

[Indos]

There are 20 + Arab rulers (many more in fact) as there are 20 + Arab countries. Some are worse, some similar while others are better. Just within the confederation of UAE this can be seen as an example depending on the emirate. Does not change the fact that most of those leaders (Arab, Muslim etc.) are trash as I wrote initially and trying to make one trash shine brighter than the other is not going to work. As we all can see in the real world.

Even if he was in some imaginary galaxy a "saint" compared to Arab leaders it is of no importance to KSA, Arab countries or Arabs. Internal political affairs of Turkey has no interest to me nor is it my business or that of any foreigner (you included). My comments were related to the political behavior of his that I have noticed in relation to Arab states and I am saying that knowing fully well that his wife is an ethnic Turkish Arab, that he is generally pro-Arab etc. I have nothing against him personally either as I do not know him. All I am judging is his political decisions in the region and his populism, hypocrisy and him changing alliances and viewpoints as often as people change socks. Even in a region devoid of good leaders and politicians by large, he is an incredible opportunist.

I always found you self-proclaimed "Islamists" in the West funny. You often curse Western societies yet live in them and enjoy all their benefits while you could easily migrate back "home" or to actual Muslim nations. Hard to take seriously.

This reminds me of Erdogan trying to come off as "anti-Israeli" while ties under his rule with Israel reached untold heights until the fallout after those Turkish civilians were killed in the waters of Israel. Yet trade, business etc. continues to this day.

Basically what I dislike is when a leader (opportunist, hypocritical and power hungry) is speaking with different tongues. Saying one thing to his own public and another to Arab publics etc. He is a head of state of an openly secular state where there are open gay prides, prostitution is legal, alcohol is legal, millions of tourists from across the world are coming to have "fun" etc. yet in the Arab world (say Egypt) he wants and wanted a guy like Morsi to rule. In what world does that make sense? I am not even commenting on whether the MB, Morsi are good or bad because they are not any different to the other power hungry elements in the region.



Thanks for mentioning Gulen bro. His supposed "teacher" yet he fell out with him and for 3+ years in a row is blaming and inventing every conspiracy in the book using the "Gulen excuse" to silence the opposition. Yet you will find him hold beautiful speeches about democracy in Europe when he tried to make the EU accept Turkey. Just a perfect example of a power hungry person that will use every trick in the book to gain and retain power with no morals while claiming to have them contrary to other Muslim regimes that he is bashing often. This is often the case with people who rise up from nothing like Erdogan and even more so if they have been wronged (jailed) as him in the past.

I understand that you will have blind supporters of him on PDF (much less than once) who equal leaders with entire countries and their people, lol. Watch that Hussain guy get angry due to my post, lol, even though I wrote nothing but facts.

Ya, I think he is already too long in power, it is not good for AKP future. He shouldn't sacrifice party future for the sake of his own ambition. Silencing opposition and media should also be avoided in any democratic country. If he is too harsh with opposition and media like what we are seeing now in Turkey there will be revenge when the opposition win the next election. The condition like that is not healthy in any democratic country. The military can come again and make another coup if they see civil society are too divided and hate each other, the situation that is similar like happening in Egypt and Thailand. In any democratic country, opposition should be put in a respected place and their right should be protected since their role to balance the government power is actually a noble act.

 

[ArabianEmpires&Caliphates]

Ya, I think he is already too long in power, it is not good for AKP future. He shouldn't sacrifice party future for the sake of his own ambition. Silencing opposition and media should also be avoided in any democratic country. If he is too harsh with opposition and media like what we are seeing now in Turkey there will be revenge when the opposition win the next election. The condition like that is not healthy in any democratic country. The military can come again and make another coup if they see civil society are too divided and hate each other, the situation that is similar like happening in Egypt and Thailand. In any democratic country, opposition should be put in a respected place and their right should be protected since their role to balance the government power is actually a noble act.

If anything Indonesia is the model to follow in the Muslim world (100 times more than any 100 year old Kemalism mix of some French secularism and fake "Turkic nationalism" ) if the goal is to combine Islam in a democratic framework. Indonesians have remained true to their culture throughout and incorporated minorities and ethnic groups into the society which is why communities such as Arab Indonesians or Chinese Indonesians (expect for some incidents with them when Indonesia was not yet a democracy) can and have retained their culture while at the same time embraced Indonesia as a homeland on every front. All while having a significant minority (several million big) of Christians, Hindus (Bali) etc.

A shame that some of the blind Arab Erdogan worshippers (a dying but still vocal minority until Erdogan is retired or thrown into the dustbin of history) have no clue about (by large) the Indonesian model that would fit the Arab world 100 times better as it is organic and natural and not forced.

"Unity in diversity" indeed.

 

[Nein]

Actually. i can tell you from Turkish view point. Erdogan didnt loose his supporters. Still most of the people in Turkey loves his foreign policy and his character. But, they dont want him to be only one in power and they believe people near him, using his popularity to do wrongdoings. everybody also wanted to test Erdogans attitude towards democracy.. He actually won lots of heart in this election as he accepted losing the election and no problem about it.. It will also stop any kind of protest from Turkish people in the future as they saw that they and untop him with election, no need to violence..
As i said, most of the Turkish people still trust him and he will be choosen like a president again if there is an election. But, people really wanted to give a try to other people as they will be more enerjectic that AKP candidate who was old

Erdogan has become like Arsene Wenger I can see why people want change.