President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party is leading in Turkey’s municipal elections but may lose control of the capital in a vote seen as a test of his support amid a sharp economic downturn. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party is leading in Turkey’s municipal elections but may lose control of the capital in a vote seen as a test of his support amid a sharp economic downturn. Felicity’s leader, Temel Karamollaoglu, alleged that a polling station volunteer and a party observer had been shot by a relative of a ruling party candidate. Mr Erdogan’s ruling party has renewed an alliance with the country’s nationalist party to increase votes. Before the elections, Mr Erdogan campaigned tirelessly for AKP’s candidates, framing the municipal elections taking place across Turkey as matters of “national survival”.

Source: Irish Independent March 31, 2019 19:07 UTC