The 2024 local elections in Turkey: a critical juncture for Turkish democracy?

The 2024 local elections in Turkey have surprised many domestic and international observers alike as the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has faced its first nation-wide defeat since its meteoric rise in Turkish politics in 2002. The main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), has come out as the leading party in the election and grabbed most of the metropolitan municipalities including all of the 5 most populous and industrious cities, i.e. & Idot;stanbul, Ankara, & Idot;zmir, Bursa, and Adana. The New Welfare Party (YRP), an ultra-conservative, Islamist party, has become the third party in the election, gaining seats and support in many parts of the country. This article argues that what the 2024 local elections could bring about for the Turkish democracy still hangs in balance as the AKP's authoritarian policies seem to continue, whereas the opposition camp appears to gather major momentum and energy for the upcoming national elections in 2028-or even before.