Turkey's elections: Opposition leads by vote in Istanbul, other cities

The preliminary results from Sunday's local elections show that Turkey's main opposition party is ready to maintain control over crucial cities, giving a strong blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ambitions to regain these urban bookies.

With about 20 per cent of the votes counted, Ekrem Imamoglu, incumbent leader from the Republican People's Party (CHP), leads in Istanbul, the country's largest city and economic centre, as reported by state broadcaster TRT, transmission AP.

Even Chairman Mansur Yavas, representing the CHP, appears on track to secure a victory in Ankara. According to the initial TRT figures, the CHP heads 35 of Turkey's 81 provinces.

This election result is seen as a gauge of President Erdogan's popularity, as he intended to regain control of major urban areas lost by the opposition five years ago.

Let Istanbul return to its rightful owners ... You must save this ancient city from CHP oppression,” Erdogan told participants in one of the two pre-election speeches he held in Turkey's largest city, referring to the Republican People's Party ( CHP).

The main battle area for President Erdogan was Istanbul, a 16 million-strong metropolis that has personal significance for it as its birthplace, education and starting its political journey when he took up the post of chairman during 1994.

For the opposition split and demoralised following a defeat in last year's presidential and parliamentary elections last year's keepover of Istanbul and Ankara would be a major boost and would help remobibilise supporters.

Approximately 61 million individuals, among them over one million voters for the first time, had the right to participate in elections for the Metropolitan municipalities, city and district mayors, as well as neighborhood administrations.