On March 31, Türkiye will once again exercise its democratic right to vote in local government elections. Yet, this election transcends mere local political dynamics; it stands as a pivotal moment shaping the trajectory of Turkish politics at large. In the wake of the May 23 general elections, Türkiye’s political landscape is undergoing significant shifts,
President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Tayyip Erdoğan took a strategic step and entrusted the local election goal of “Istanbul Again” to former minister Murat Kurum. Kurum was not the candidate most likely to take the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality from the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) popular mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu. For