Turkey's opposition party scores key local election wins

April 1 (UPI) -- Led by Ekrem Imamoglu's re-election as mayor of Istanbul, Turkey's leading opposition party scored impressive victories in local elections, appearing to send a message to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Republican People's Party, or CHP, continued its control of Istanbul, Turkey's capital of Ankara and other major cities. The CHP even scored some rare wins in more conservative-leaning central Anatolia and regions near the Black Sea.

"My dear Istanbulites, you opened the door to a new future today," Imamoglu said to his audience, according to The Guardian. "Starting tomorrow, Turkey will be a different Turkey. You opened the door to the rise of democracy, equality and freedom ... You ignited hope at the ballot box."

Erdogan acknowledged his Justice and Development Party's losses in his speech on Sunday, vowing that they will perform better in future elections. While not acknowledging his opponents, Erdogan praised the mostly peaceful elections.

"Thanks to the common sense of our citizens, Turkish democracy proved its maturity again," Erdogan said, according to the Daily Sabah. "Elections are the most critical days of democracies and people voice their choices through the ballot.

"The Turkish nation gave its message to the politicians. The winner of this election is Turkey as a whole. The winner is democracy. We paid a high price for its sake."

Turkey's central bank under Erdogan had introduced financial reforms and austerity measures in the country, which inflamed some.