Istanbul: A Crossroads in Erdogan's Political Journey

A report by Ahmad Abdallah, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

From Istanbul began the journey of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, so will Istanbul mark the end or the renewal of his political career?

In the 1970s, the resident  of the Kasim Pasha district in the city, Erdogan, headed the youth branch of an Islamic party in the Beyoglu area, the working-class district. From here began Erdogan's political life, who became the mayor of Istanbul before assuming the presidency of the Turkish government and the presidency of the country.

Throughout this political journey, Istanbul has been Erdogan's share. He once said, "Whoever controls the city of Istanbul can also rule the entire country."

In 2019, the opposition seized control of Istanbul from Erdogan, who is now seeking, along with his party, the Justice and Development Party, to regain it in a battle that is not easy.

Facing Erdogan's candidate, Murat Kurum, is a strong opponent, Ekrem Imamoglu, with an appealing personality and popularity, representing the Republican People's Party, Turkey's main opposition party.

While the Justice and Development Party manages the affairs of the Turks, the opposition Republican People's Party controls major cities, including the capital Ankara, Istanbul, and tourist coastal cities, most notably Izmir and Antalya.

Today, all eyes are on the results of these municipal elections, which Erdogan says will be his last, as he will not be able to run for a fourth term according to the constitution.

However, if he succeeds in controlling the major cities, this opens the door to organizing a parliamentary referendum to call for early elections, which may pave the way for Erdogan to run for another term.

On the other hand, the opposition, led by the Republican People's Party, harbors great hopes of consolidating its presence in the major municipalities as an opportunity to regain momentum after failing in the presidential elections last May.

All of the above remains subject to the results of these elections, which begin to be announced between Sunday night and Monday morning. 

Turkey faces two paths: one leading to diverse and varied opposition, while the other leads to a continuation of the policy path shaped in recent years by Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party.