Turkey’s democratic reflexes

On the night of June 23, moments after the first exit polls signaled Ekrem Imamoglu's electoral triumph in the controversial mayoral rerun, Istanbul went through a moment of rare release. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets, erupting in applause and celebratory chants, playing musical instruments and occasionally singing the opposition candidate's rallying cry: "Everything will be alright."

At Moda Park, in one of the city's most liberal neighborhoods, all sorts of Istanbulites could be seen celebrating, from children to the elderly. They could be seen hugging each other and exchanging hopeful words late into the early hours of Monday.

The rebirth of hope and the preservation of Turkish democracy was undeniably the clearest message sent out by the electorate of Turkey's largest city - a message that transcended support for the Republican Party candidate...