In a blow to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an opposition candidate declared victory in the Istanbul mayor’s race for a second time today after the government-backed candidate conceded defeat in a high-stakes repeat election.
Softly-spoken former businessman and district mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, 49, said ‘Thank You, Istanbul’ in a televised speech tonight.
‘It was not a single group or party, but the whole of Istanbul and Turkey that won this election,’ Imamoglu said in his victory speech as tens of thousands of his ecstatic supporters celebrated across the city of 15million.
‘Mr President, I am ready to work in harmony with you. I convey from here my request to meet with you in the shortest time possible,’ he added.
His supporters were jubilant after unofficial results showed he won the mayorship of Europe’s largest city in a clear majority of the vote as the election was rerun at Erdogan’s request.
His opponent, former Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, conceded moments after early returns showed him trailing well behind Imamoglu, 54 per cent to 45 per cent.
The outcome means Turkey’s largest city won’t be governed by Erdogan’s party or its predecessor for the first time in 25 years.
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See Also:
(1) Whoever Wins Istanbul’s Mayoral Election, There’s Trouble Ahead for Erdogan
(2) Istanbul: ‘Everything Is Coming Up Roses’
(3) Turkey uprising: Erdogan humiliated as opposition secures major victory in rerun vote
