Challenge to Turkish Poll Results: Al Jazeera

Preliminary results suggest that opposition candidates won narrow victories in Turkey’s two largest cities. Candidates with the Republican People's Party, CHP, won mayoral races in both Ankara and Istanbul. “Nationwide, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and its coalition partner won more than 50 percent of votes in Sunday's election, but the ruling party lost the capital, Ankara, and its commercial hub, Istanbul,” reports Al Jazeera, adding that the ruling party is appealing the results. Erdogan and AKP, founded in 2001, have dominated Turkish politics since 2002. The article concludes: “The president's political success has rested on years of stellar economic growth in Turkey, but a recession that has brought surging inflation and unemployment and a plunging lira currency have affected his popularity.” – YaleGlobal