Turkey’s opposition poised for victory in AnkaraApril 1, 2019 - 11:39 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey’s main opposition party appeared poised to win mayoral races in Ankara, the capital, and several other cities in local elections on Sunday, March 31, dealing a significant setback to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he campaigned relentlessly for his party’s candidates but faced a voter backlash over his management of the economy, The Washington Post reports. Erdogan’s ruling party claimed victory Sunday in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, even as official tallies showed a razor-thin margin in the contest. (Later on Sunday, though, Erdogan appeared to suggest that his party may have lost Istanbul’s mayoral race.) Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, said its candidate was ahead as he urged supporters to stay at the polls. Erdogan, speaking to reporters on Sunday night, said his Justice and Development Party and an allied party had captured the majority of votes in the nationwide contest — a continuation, he said, of his party’s electoral dominance since 2002. At the same time, he appeared to acknowledge the symbolic weight of the losses in Ankara and other cities. “We will accept that we were not successful in the places that we lost,” he said. Later, speaking in Ankara, he said, “Tomorrow morning, we will start our work to detect our shortcomings.” The election for mayors, municipal council members and other local posts represented the first nationwide referendum on Erdogan’s leadership since he won a presidential poll in June. Since then, Turkey’s economy has slipped into a recession for the first time in a decade, forcing the government to defend policies that have unnerved investors and sent prices soaring. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | About 32,000 rally in Yerevan to deman Pashinyan’s resignation About 31,700 people attended an opposition rally on Thursday, May 9 in Yerevan demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Viva-MTS: Tech solutions to modernize infrastructure of border village The border village has been the focus of Viva-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Values since 2015. Ucom's fixed network launched in Artashat To mark this occasion, the company has introduced a special offer exclusively for Artashat residents. “By Your Side”: IDBank's new support program for displaced Artsakh citizens IDBank is launching a long-term social support program for forcibly displaced Artsakh residents. |