Turkey local polls test Erdogan’s popularity

Electoral workers begin counting ballots. Pic/AP

Turkey is holding local elections Sunday that will decide who gets to control Istanbul and other key cities. The vote is also a barometer of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's popularity as he seeks to win back control of key urban areas he lost to the opposition five years ago.

The main battlegrounds are the country's economic hub, Istanbul, and the capital, Ankara, both of which Erdogan lost in 2019, shattering his aura of invincibility. The 70-year-old Turkish president has set his sights on wresting back Istanbul, a city of 16 million people where he was born and raised and where he began his political career as mayor in 1994.

A strong showing for Erdogan's ruling Islamic-oriented Justice and Development Party, or AKP, would likely harden his resolve to usher in a new constitution - one that would reflect his conservative values and allow him to rule beyond 2028 when his current term ends, analysts say.

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