Surprises in Turkey's 2024 Local Elections

AK Party faced defeat in some cities considered its stronghold. Adıyaman, governed by the AK Party since 2004, saw a shift as the electorate opted for the CHP after 20 years. CHP candidate Abdurrahman Tutdere won the election with 49% of the votes, while AK Party's candidate Ziya Polat lagged behind with 27%. Compared to the 2019 elections, AK Party's vote share in the city decreased by 25%.

Another city where surprising results were observed is Balıkesir. According to unofficial results, CHP candidate Ahmet Akın won the mayoral election by securing 51% of the votes. This marks the first time since Balıkesir became a province in 1950 that the CHP has won local elections in the city.

A similar situation unfolded in Kırıkkale, where CHP's Ahmet Önal won the mayoral race with 49.9% of the votes according to unofficial results. This marks the first time CHP has taken control in Kırıkkale since it became a province in 1989.

In Kilis, declared a province in 1995, CHP candidate Hakan Bilecen secured the top position with 41.98% of the votes. This victory marks the first time CHP has won the elections in Kilis, where it previously received only 3% of the votes in 2014.

Bursa also witnessed a reversal of fortunes compared to the 2019 elections. The city had been under AK Party rule since 2004, with Ali Nur Aktaş winning the mayoral election in 2019 with 49.63% of the votes. However, this time AK Party's candidate Aktaş received only 38% of the votes, while CHP's candidate Mustafa Bozbey secured 47% of the votes.

Yozgat, governed by the AK Party since 2004, saw a similar trend. AK Party's vote share decreased from 40% in 2019 to 26% in this election. Yeniden Refah Party's Kazım Arslan emerged as the new mayor with 36% of the votes, according to unofficial results.

In Manisa, hometown of CHP leader Özgür Özel, the electorate's preference changed compared to 2019. MHP's Cengiz Ergün, who won the mayoral election with 52% of the votes in the previous elections, saw his vote share decline to 29%. CHP's Ferdi Zeybek emerged victorious with 57% of the votes.

Even in Nevşehir, the only province where İYİ Party won, there was a change compared to 2019. AK Party, which was the leading party in the city with 51% of the votes in 2019, saw its vote share decrease to 34% this time. İYİ Party's Rasim Arı won the election with 52% of the votes.