Erdogan’s party loses municipal elections in Istanbul, Ankara
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s party AKP lost two important municipal elections in Ankara and Istanbul, reported BBC. Both cities have been Erdogan’s strongholds since he got to power, and many analysts see these losses as the single biggest blow to the president since he came to power fifteen years ago.
Before Erdogan became the leader of Turkey, he was the mayor of Istanbul. Over the years he has believed that Turkey cannot be governed without controlling Istanbul, the country’s financial capital.
In the run up to these elections, Erdogan aggressively campaigned across the country. His strategy was to make these elections about the survival of Turkey as an Islamic and a Middle Eastern power.
Though owing to an economy in recession and a fractured relationship with Turkey’s NATO ally, the US, the popular sentiment was strongly against Erdogan.
Ekrem Imamoglu, a new rising star, has won the Istanbul election, defeating the AKP’s candidate, former premier Binali Yildirim.
British parliament fails to strike a compromise over Brexit, again
The British House of Commons voted on separate proposals Monday to find a compromise over UK’s withdrawal from the European Union — none of the four proposals managed to secure a majority, reported BBC.
These votes were not binding, but an attempt to test if there is a majority in support for any kind of Brexit arrangement. The two options that were voted down by the smallest margin involved a vote on the Customs Union, and on a new referendum.
Under the failed Customs Union plan, UK would have continued to be a part of the EU’s trade regime, whereby UK’s tariff structure would have been identical to that of the EU. This harmonisation of the trading regime would have ensured that no hard border is required between UK’s Northern Ireland and Ireland.
The Brexit deadline has now been extended to 12 April. British Prime Minister Theresa May has until then to either convince the British Parliament to back her Brexit deal or ask the EU to further extend the deadline.
In Other News:
Ukraine election: Comedian leads presidential contest, BBC
Latvia clashes with financial regulator over money-laundering reform, Financial Times
From Crazy Rich Asians to a poor man’s Bali: the rise and fall (and rise) of Sentosa Cove, Singapore’s ‘Monte Carlo’, South China Morning Post