Turkey local election: Erdogan battles key rival

Turks began voting on Sunday in municipal elections focused on President Tayyip Erdogan's bid to reclaim control of Istanbul from rival Ekrem Imamoglu, who aims to reassert the opposition as a political force after bitter election defeats last year.

Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu dealt Erdogan and his AK Party the biggest electoral blow of two decades in power with his win in the 2019 vote. The president struck back in 2023 by securing re-election and a parliament majority with his nationalist allies.

Sunday's results could now reinforce Erdogan's control of NATO-member Turkey, or signal change in the major emerging economy's divided political landscape. An Imamoglu win is seen fuelling expectations of him becoming a future national leader.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. in eastern Turkey and elsewhere at 8 a.m., with more than 61 million people registered to vote....