Opposition candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu won Istanbul’s repeated mayoral election on 23 June, defeating former prime minister Binali Yıldırım by a substantially larger margin than in March.

What happened

The rerun followed the election board’s cancellation of İmamoğlu’s first victory. Turnout remained high, and preliminary results showed a clear outcome that Yıldırım conceded that night.

Why it mattered

The vote ended the governing party’s long control of Turkey’s largest city. Istanbul’s population, budget and political history made the mayoralty unusually influential.

Context and consequences

İmamoğlu’s victory elevated him nationally and dealt a major setback to President Erdoğan’s alliance, closing a dispute that had dominated politics for nearly three months.

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