(Not so) local elections in Turkey

However, these elections will have political and social consequences far beyond the election of mayors. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) wants to turn the whole country into a “thornless rose garden” by winning victories across the country but in particular in Istanbul, Ankara and other big cities. For the opposition parties, these elections are the last opportunity to narrow the Erdoğan government’s room for maneuver. According to some commentators,