Izmir another disappointment for Turkey's ruling AKP

With 99 percent of the votes counted, CHP's Aziz Kocaoglu showed a clear victory securing 53.4 percent, while his nearest rival, AKP’s Taha Aksoy gained 32.1 percent of support in the city. �

During election campaigning, the AKP had accused the current mayor and CHP’s Kocaoglu of providing Izmir residents with drinking water with high arsenic levels. Despite the claims, CHP re-nominated Kocaoglu to run in Sunday's poll.

In Izmir, seen as a stronghold of the CHP, the gap between AKP was only 15 percent in the local elections of 2004, and 5 percent in the 2007 general elections, with CHP gaining 35.46 percent and the AKP 30.5 percent.

It came as no surprise for the CHP candidate, Aziz Kocaoglu to lead the race, but AKP had not expected the gap to be so wide.

AKP’s candidate Taha Aksoy lost the 2004’s local elections against CHP’s Ahmet Piristina who later died of a heart attack. Aksoy was elected to parliament from Izmir in the 2007 general elections.

Watching the election night unfold from his home, Aksoy did not hide his disappointment. “Although it is still too early to evaluate, the gap is too big. I am surprised by the result,” he said.

Izmir, with its secularist and democratic roots, usually ignores the candidates and exhibits rather ideology-based voter behavior.

Most of Izmir’s movers and shakers are pro-liberal, democrats and from the leftist strata of society. Although the CHP and its leadership does not reflect Izmir’s mentality, AKP’s stance against secularism is perceived as a threat to the way of life of residents in Turkey’s third largest city.  The lack of any viable alternative against the AKP encroachment will result in a likely CHP victory.