Local elections have come to a close in Turkey, and after counting a large percentage of the votes, it would appear that the candidates from the opposition party have defeated those representing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the major cities.
According to preliminary results, Istanbul, Ismir, and Ankara will all remain in the hands of the opposition, despite Erdogan's attempts to seize Istanbul.
After counting 60% of the votes in Istanbul, it would seem that incumbent Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu will defeat the president's candidate by nine points.
In the capital city of Ankara as well, after counting 51.9% of the votes it would appear that Mansur Yavaş from the Republican Party will win an additional term, beating out Erdogan's candidate.
According to the current results, Yavaş is leading the other candidate by over 30% and has received 64% of the vote.
Erdogan's candidate has taken a loss in Izmir too, receiving only 37.1% of the vote, compared to the Republican Party candidate's 48.1%.
Throughout the three main cities, the opposition candidates are leading by between 10% to 15%.
The results so far show that Erdogan's Justice and Development Party has lost a collective 8% when compared to the previous elections which were held in 2019.