The Islamic supremacist and despotic Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has suffered what’s being described as the “worst election defeat since coming to power two decades ago.” The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is now Turkey’s leading party, “according to the preliminary results of Turkey’s local elections,” which took place on Sunday. Erdogan has ambitions of a revived Ottoman Empire, ie. a global Islamic caliphate, with himself as its leader. The news is a blow to him personally, as well as to his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Evren Balta, a professor of political science at Turkey’s Ozyegin University, states that the defeat has international implications:
“Winning major cities is more of a deal for the opposition, but also it means access to foreign funds, having transnational links with both economic actors and political actors….If you are governing a major global city, it means you have visibility in the international scene.”
The CHP saw its biggest victory in Istanbul, “where Erdoğan was born, raised and launched his political career as mayor in 1994, was the primary battleground for the 70-year-old president.”
The reason for the devastating loss, according to Selin Nasi, a visiting fellow at the European Institute of the London School of Economics, is “economic factors” which “trumped Erdoğan’s variety of identity politics.” Erdoğan pushes a strong Islamic agenda and has managed over the decades to erode drastically the secular Kemalists’ influence over Turkish politics. Let’s hope the winning trend for the CHP continues.
“Erdoğan’s AKP suffers historic defeat in Turkey’s polls, CHP leading party after decades,” Turkish Minute, April 1, 2024:
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has suffered its worst election defeat since coming to power two decades ago, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has emerged as the country’s leading party after decades, according to the preliminary results of Turkey’s local elections on Sunday.
According to the state-run Anadolu news agency, with over 99.8 percent of ballots counted, the CHP emerged as the leading party for the first time in 47 years, securing 37.7 percent of the vote and maintaining control of key cities and securing substantial gains in other regions, while the AKP, for the first time in 22 years, stood as the second party, garnering only 35.4 percent of the vote.
In the previous local elections in 2019, the AKP’s vote stood at 44.3 percent, while support for CHP was at 30.1 percent.
Ahmet Yener, chair of the Supreme Election Board (YSK), Turkey’s top election authority, announced on Monday that the CHP won the municipalities of 35 out of Turkey’s 81 provinces, including 14 metropolitan municipalities such as İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir, while the AKP won 12 metropolitan municipalities and 12 other provinces.
AKP candidates also won in 324 districts, while the CHP candidates won in 322 districts, according to Yener.
İstanbul, a city of 16 million people where Erdoğan was born, raised and launched his political career as mayor in 1994, was the primary battleground for the 70-year-old president….
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Somehow, I don’t trust any “secularism” of any Turkish political party. I mean, do they also renounce Turkic supremacy, acknowledge the Armenian holocaust as well as the rights of Christians (Greek, Syraic, Assyrian….) to live as equal citizens of Turkey?
abu taleb says
As long as muslims are still muslims, I don’t trust them.
Even those who “convert” to other religion for the reason “the new religion is better than Islam”, can not be trusted either, because they still have Islam mentality, taking whatever beneficial for themselves. They are the cafetaria muslim, just like Joe Biden who is a cafetaria Catholic.
Kepha says
I do not think that the late Nabeel Qureshi died a “cafeteria Muslim”. His book on Christianity and Islam seems to show an informed and dedicated Christian mind.
Mick says
The Committee of Young Turks who organised the 1915 Armenian Holocaust were relatively secular,.and cosmopolitan.
They welcomed Sunni Kurds and Shi’ite Azeris to their death squads.
Peter WF says
One needs to realize the level of corruption in Turkey. It was laid bare in the earth quake of Feb 6 2023.
See https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/erzin-turkey-earthquake-building-collapse-construction-codes-rcna70733
There are other more extensive news reports where they describe that it was “normal” for developers to relieve themselves from the building code by payments the the municipality.
James Lincoln says
Erdoğan needs to talk to Joe Biden about how to rig an election.
Kevin Cleveland says
Only If They Have To. Right now, their immediate problem is Islam their own religion. Erdogan I understand is trying to bring back the Ottoman Empire, i.e. a Global Islamic Caliphate, with himself as its Supreme Leader. The only thing the opposition party really wants is to prevent that! In places like Gaza, Jordan and others where there has never been any freedom, they love the idea. In places like Turkey and Egypt where it has been Islamic but reasonably free they hate the idea. Personally, I hope he says something bad about Mohammed that way to cut his head off.
John Andela says
I hope Iam correct in my comment any thing is better then Erdogan , Iam not familiar with their platform .(the new party )
all i can recall some outlandish ambitions he had ,( Erdogan) and that from a country that was some what bankrupt
and a return to the Ottoman empire This man needs to be replaced sooner then later Him and the Iranian Clowns
OLD GUY says
Little Hitler took one on the chin. Hope it knocks him on his ass.
libertyORdeath says
We’ve been hearing this for years now, but I don’t think voting is gonna change Turkey. If you think they’re gonna leave just because they’re Unpopular, just look at Cyprus.
Erdogan wants a CALIPHATE, not a Western-style democracy. All comments to that effect are simply TAQIYYA meant to confuse their Western allies.
And it’s working.