ISTANBUL, March 31, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - According to early partial results, Turkey's opposition appears to be ahead for now in the key cities of Istanbul and Ankara, state media said on Sunday.

With 20 percent of the votes counted, the current mayor of Istanbul was leading with 49.6 percent of the vote, compared with 41.6 percent of his main rival, who was backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In the capital Ankara, with 12 percent of the vote counted, the current mayor was leading with 56.3 percent, compared with 36.3 percent for the ruling party candidate.