Turkish vote tests Erdogan’s mandate

Turkey was Sunday voting in local elections widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Rece Tayyip Erdogan, whose challenges the country’s strict secular system have pitted him against the military and judiciary. Polls show Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, or AK Party, in power since 2002, is once again likely to win more than 40 percent of votes in the mainly Muslim country. More than 90,000 positions are up for grabs, from the mayor of Turkey’s largest city Istanbul to the headman of the smallest village.

Share