Latest editorial
Turkey's Erdogan suffers crushing defeat at local elections
The ruling Justice and Development Party loses control of three major cities despite alleged attempts at manipulation and vote-rigging
A woman takes a selfie as People's Democratic Part, HDP, supporters celebrate after the announcement of preliminary results of the local elections, in Diyarbakir, Turkey, yesterday
![A recue carried out in the Mediterranean Sea by SOS Mediterranean [Pic: Marcel Beloqui Evardone / SOS Humanity]](https://morningstaronline.co.uk/sites/default/files/styles/desktop/public/2026-06/20251124_Rescue_01_Marcel_Beloqui_Evardone_LQ-21.jpg.webp?itok=iwkIhCAa)
TURKEY’S authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffered a crushing defeat in yesterday’s local elections, losing control of three major cities despite alleged attempts at manipulation and vote-rigging.
His ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was beaten by the Kemalist Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the capital Ankara, where Mansur Yavas won the mayoral race with 51 per cent of the vote.
Fears of manipulation were raised during a tense night when Turkey’s electoral commission stopped issuing voting data with the AKP trailing in the race to win Istanbul.
Similar stories
CLAUDIA WEBBE looks at how Britain’s Nato ally has upped the stakes in its effort to silence domestic dissenting voices
