As economy sours, Erdogan’s party could lose grip on big cities in local polls

Source:Reuters Date:17Jan2019

Two party sources told Reuters that two of its internal polls showed support for the AKP had fallen to 32-35 percent, before accounting for the 30 percent of voters still undecided. In 2014 local elections the AKP took 43 percent, far ahead of its nearest rival, the secularist Republican People’s Party (CHP), which polled less than 25 percent.

The AKP now faces the potential loss of Ankara, the capital, and a tight race in Istanbul, the sources said. The AKP party, or its predecessor, has controlled both cities, as well as most other big Turkish municipalities, for more than 20 years.