Opposition in Turkey
The municipal elections on March 31st at the national level and the re-run elections on June 23rd in Istanbul showed that there is a strong and vibrant opposition in Turkey. The opposition wins in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, among others, was a surprising development for many observers and even to some in Turkey. Although there were educated guesses that Erdogan may lose Ankara, the loss of Istanbul by 800,000 votes became a significant failure in the city, where Erdogan started his rise in Turkish politics as mayor in 1994. Which parties constitute this new opposition wave in Turkey? How did they increase their vote in the municipal elections? Will they pose a real political and electoral challenge to Erdogan’s ruling coalition in Turkey?
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