Erdogan's rival comes out on top in Turkish elections in Istanbul

Analysts say the AKP's poor performance on Sunday could weaken Erdogan's control over Turkey and signal a potential shift in the divided political landscape of the major emerging economy. A victory for Imamoglu would also fuel hopes of him becoming a future national leader.

“Imamoglu is doing well and doing what he must as mayor, but he is not comparable to Erdogan,” Omer, a retired AKP voter, said on Sunday. At the same time, a jubilant crowd chanted the president's name as he left a polling station in Istanbul.

Elsewhere in Istanbul, Europe's largest city with more than 16 million people, engineer Murat Ercan said he disapproved of Erdogan's active role in campaigning for his party ahead of the election, saying the president had to be impartial.

“Ekrem Imamoglu is the kind of president we want, with his constructive and smiling nature, who welcomes everyone,” Ercan, 60, said after voting.

In one incident in the southeast, groups clashed with guns, sticks and stones, killing one person and injuring 11 others. In another incident, a muhtar candidate was killed and four people injured in a scuffle, the official Anadolu news agency reported.

He also said 16 people were injured in a clash in Sanliurfa, while a muhtar was stabbed in Afyonkarahisar in the west. Demiroren separately reported that one person was shot dead and two injured overnight in Bursa.

In Istanbul, which is the engine of Turkey's economy, polls suggest a close race between Imamoglu and Kurum.

Analysts say the early results likely partly reflect economic strains caused by inflation near 70 percent, with discontent among Kurdish and Islamist voters weighing on the AKP's performance.

If Erdogan's main objective is Istanbul, he also seeks to reconquer the capital Ankara. Both cities were won by the opposition in 2019 after being under the rule of its AKP and Islamist predecessors for 25 years.

Early results suggest Erdogan's prospects have been little improved by the collapse of the opposition alliance he defeated last year. Imamoglu, an affable former businessman, still appeals to voters beyond his secular CHP's base.

Voters from the main pro-Kurdish party played a crucial role in Imamoglu's success in 2019. Their DEM party this time fielded its own candidate in Istanbul, but many Kurds were expected to set aside their loyalty to the party and vote for it again.

In the Kurdish-majority southeast, the DEM sought to reassert its strength after the state replaced pro-Kurdish mayors with state-appointed “administrators” following previous elections due to ties allegedly with militants.

“I want the guardianship system to end. This election is important for the future of Turkey and for listening to us: the Kurds are always decisive,” said civil servant Elif Durgun, 32.

One of the factors working against Erdogan is the increase in support for the Islamist New Welfare Party, due to its hardline stance against Israel in the Gaza conflict and its dissatisfaction with the management of the economy by the AKP, of Islamist origin.