International Report

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's worst electoral defeat in nationwide municipal elections has changed Turkey's political landscape. However, the Opposition's victory came at an awkward time. Turkey's Western allies were looking to strengthen ties with the Turkish President.  Turkey's main opposition CHP (Republican People’s Party) gains in nationwide local elections are a significant reversal of the party's fortunes after Erdogan's resounding reelection last May."After the opposition's loss in the May elections, everybody thought the opposition was in a state of despair," explains Can Selcuki, head of Istanbul polling firm Economics Research."But that doesn't seem to be the case, and it's a turning point for the Turkish political landscape."It's the first time since 1977 that CHP has managed to come out number one in the popular vote."Threat of authoritarianismWith much of the media under his control and the judiciary targeting dissent, critics claim Erdogan's grip on power is tightening.Addressing su