Opposition candidate Imamoglu wants to work with Erdogan | Currently Europe | '
Tens of thousands of people in Istanbul flocked to spontaneous celebrations on the streets after the victory was no longer their candidate Ekrem Imamoglu of the opposition CHP party. Motorcade drove through the economic metropolis, Istanbulers fell laughing into their arms. In the stronghold of the secular CHP, in the district of Sisli, the residents chanted: "Law, law, justice." Many waved Turkish flags, others held up posters bearing the image of state founder Atatürk. "I have not been so happy for years," said 30-year-old Ilayda.
In the car parade through Istanbul
"All Turkey has won"
And the winner – he promised a new start for the whole country. "Not a single party, but rather Istanbul and Turkey have won this election," said the 49-year-old Imamoglu. Speaking to jubilant supporters, he said, "Today, 16 million people in Istanbul have renewed our belief in democracy and underpinned our confidence in justice."
CHP supporters pour into the streets
Imamoglu announced that he wanted to "work in harmony" with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to solve the city's most urgent problems. The mayor post in the by far largest Turkish city is the most important office of its kind in the Muslim-dominated country.
Erdogan had previously congratulated the winner via Twitter. The election has shown "the will of the people," he wrote. Imamoglu's rival, former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim of the ruling Islamic conservative AKP, also congratulated and wished him good luck.
The loser Binali Yildirim
800,000 more votes
Compared to the first poll at the end of March, which had been canceled at the insistence of Erdogan, Imamoglu was able to significantly extend his lead this time. The CHP candidate won after counting almost all votes with 54 percent. On Yildirim accounted for only 45 percent. The distance was thus according to TV broadcasters about 800,000 votes after only 13,000 at the March election. The participation was 84.4 percent.
The election was all about the economic crisis. Also among traditional ACP voters, dissatisfaction has been high over the drastic increase in the cost of living since the crash of the Turkish lira last summer. In the election campaign, Imamoglu focused on social issues such as poverty, unemployment and childcare, and challenged the "system of waste" in the city administration.
se / qu (rtr, dpa, afp, ap)
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