In the recent municipal elections in Turkey, voters across the country headed to the polls on Sunday, with a particular focus on the city of Istanbul. This city holds great significance for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is eager to reclaim it from the opposition.

Erdogan’s political journey began in Istanbul back in 1994 when he was elected as mayor. His party maintained control of the city until Ekrem Imamoglu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) took over five years ago.

Having secured his re-election as president last year, Erdogan has now set his sights on winning back Istanbul, a city that is home to 16 million residents. He has emphasized the city’s importance in Turkish politics, referring to it as a valuable asset.

“Whoever wins Istanbul, wins Turkey,” Erman Bakirci, a pollster from Konda Research and Consultancy, recalled Erdogan once saying.

For this crucial election, Erdogan has selected former environment minister Murat Kurum as his candidate for the mayoral position. Recent polls indicate that Imamoglu, who narrowly defeated an Erdogan ally in the 2019 election, is currently leading. However, analysts caution that Turkish polls have been unreliable in the past, leaving the final outcome uncertain.

In the 2019 election, which was initially annulled, Imamoglu emerged victorious in the re-run by a larger margin. This victory earned him praise as a hero for Turkey’s opposition and positioned him as a formidable opponent for Erdogan.