Turkish Opposition Sweeps Local Polls, Dealing Blow to Erdogan’s Ruling AKP

In a blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) swept local elections in Turkey, winning key municipalities across the country. Cumhuriyet, a pro-opposition daily, described the outcome as a “historic victory” for the CHP, which claims to espouse Western principles of secular democracy. In Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, the city’s CHP-aligned mayor, easily retained his seat, beating his AKP-affiliated rival by more than 10 percentage points. The CHP likewise retained control of the capital Ankara, while also picking up new mayoral seats in several cities previously regarded as AKP strongholds....