According to a report, turks are voting in an election to decide who runs their biggest cities such as Ankara, Istanbul and Antalya. Reportedly, there is a strong link between winning Istanbul and winning Turkey, it is home to 1/5 of the population and has a diverse population; many kurds live there. According to the report, the city’s mayor is believed to be Mr Erdogan’s biggest challenger in years. Reportedly, Istanbul was won by a united opposition under mayor, Ekrem Imamaglu in 2019. According to the report, it is where Mr Erdogan grew up selling snacks; he entered politics in the 1970s, becoming mayor, prime minister then president of Turkey.
Reportedly, until 2019 Mr Erdogan’s AK party had ruled Turkey’s biggest cities for 25 years. According to the report, they were defeated when an opposition party alleged irregularities and there was a rerun. Reportedly, Turkey’s 2024 election will be Mr Erdogan’s last one, he is in his third term so can’t rule beyond 2028.