Turkey in for 'hard time' following Erdogan election losses
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is likely to find it more difficult to govern effectively after having lost Turkey's major cities in local elections.
ANKARA, Turkey — p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Verdana; color: #1e497d; -webkit-text-stroke: #1e497d} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} The interview had ended. The digital recorder was turned off. But as Al-Monitor prepared to leave his office, the interviewee said something that was not for attribution: “If (President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan loses in these elections, Turkey will have a hard time.”
Erdogan did lose in the local elections of March 31. Not nationwide — where his Justice and Development Party (AKP) came home with 44% of the vote — but in the biggest cities of the country, Ankara, Izmir and Istanbul. In Istanbul, the recounting of votes was continuing.
