Ekrem İmamoğlu

Turks dealt President Tayyip Erdogan and his party their biggest electoral blow on Sunday in a nationwide local vote that reasserted the opposition as a political force and reinforced Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu as the president's chief rival.

Turkey's main opposition party retained its control over key cities and made huge gains elsewhere in Sunday's local elections, preliminary results showed, in a major upset to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had set his sights on retaking control of those urban areas.

Turkey's main opposition party appeared set to retain its control over key cities in Sunday's local elections, preliminary results showed, in a major upset to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who had set his sights on retaking control of those urban areas. 

Turks began voting on Sunday in municipal elections focused on President Tayyip Erdogan's bid to reclaim control of Istanbul from rival Ekrem Imamoglu, who aims to reassert the opposition as a political force after bitter election defeats last year.

Turkey holds municipal elections across 81 provinces on Sunday March 31, with President Tayyip Erdogan's AK Party (AKP) aiming to reclaim cities it lost in 2019, including the country's largest city of Istanbul and the capital Ankara.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed to usher in a new era in municipal services with his administration's "Century of Türkiye" vision, just days before the local elections set to take place on March 31.

Istanbul is set to host the 2027 European Games, giving the Turkish megacity a chance to show it can stage an international multi-sports event as it eyes the 2036 Olympics.

Bruised and fractured by Tayyip Erdogan's victory in 2023 general elections, Turkey's opposition aims to land a blow in Sunday's local polls, with the future of its biggest hope, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, tied to the outcome.

ISTANBUL/DIYARBAKIR - Many of Turkey's Kurds are set to put aside party loyalty and back Tayyip Erdogan's major rival in Istanbul on Sunday, knocking the president's hopes of winning back the city he once ran, according to pollsters.

In tribute to the beloved Turkish actor Kemal Sunal, the Kemal Sunal Museum, a testament to his legendary career in Yeşilçam cinema, has been opened to the public.

With Hababam Sınıfı, Kapıcılar Kralı and Davaro, Sunal gained large popularity amongst Turkish cinema goers, especially for his character "Şaban," a role he frequently played.