Local elections see Turkish opposition win major cities

The articles report on the significant victory of Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), in the nationwide local elections held on March 31. Erdogan and his ruling party, the AKP, suffered a severe defeat, losing control of major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, and Antalya. The election was described as a de facto referendum on Erdogan and his party due to the national resonance given by Erdogan himself. The poor economy and rising cost-of-living crisis were cited as major factors contributing to the AKP's defeat. The CHP, founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk over a century ago, won the popular vote for the first time in decades. Erdogan is constitutionally obligated to step down in four years due to term limits, but there have been speculations about constitutional amendments allowing him to run for another term. Ekrem Imamoglu, the CHP's candidate in Istanbul, is seen as a potential future president by many analysts.