CHP win or AKP loss? How the opposition campaigned and what to expect next

Voting booth in Fatih, İstanbul. © Ingrid Woudwijk

İSTANBUL – On Sunday evening, as the election results became clear, 24-year old student Dilan went to Saraçhane in İstanbul to celebrate the victory of incumbent İstanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. 

With a flag of the re-elected Republican People’s Party (CHP) politician draped around her shoulders, she danced with fellow opposition supporters. 

“The election last year was a huge disappointment, that is why we are even happier now,” she told Turkey recap, adding there was a bittersweet side to the win. 

“In my opinion, if İmamoğlu had been the candidate in last year's election, we would have won 100 percent,” Dilan said.

She blamed last year’s opposition alliance, known as the Table of Six, for losing the elections. “It cost us five years,” Dilan said.

The CHP won by wide margins in İstanbul, Ankara and other races across the country, reigniting discussions about their failed election strategy in 2023, the role of candidates and the road ahead for the country’s opposition.