Voters go to polls in three Turkish provinces for local elections seen as test ahead of 2028

Voters in six beldes across the provinces of Tokat, Gümüşhane and Nevşehir cast ballots on Sunday in local elections that parties view as a gauge of political sentiment ahead of the 2028 presidential vote. More than 10,000 voters participated in the polls, while across Türkiye, voters also elected mukhtars for 362 neighborhoods, from Topağaçı in Istanbul's Üsküdar district to Tavşantepe in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

The elections were triggered by status upgrades of neighborhoods and villages, as well as deaths and convictions of local leaders. In Tavşantepe, a rural neighborhood in Diyarbakır's Bağlar district, gendarmerie troops patrolled the area during Sunday's vote. The neighborhood had been governed by mukhtar Salim Güran, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his involvement in the murder of his 8-year-old niece Narin Güran and subsequently ousted from office. Narin Güran was found dead in September 2024 after going missing for weeks. Relatives of Nevzat Bahtiyar, a man convicted of covering up the murder, were recently shot and injured in an attack linked to his role in the incident.

Politicians from parties of all sizes campaigned in the three cities in the weeks leading up to the vote. The People's Alliance of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) fielded joint candidates in all six beldes. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) vied for seats in three beldes: Çevrecik in Tokat, Tekke in Gümüşhane, and Mustafapaşa in Nevşehir. The MHP won the 2024 municipal elections in all districts that are stronghold beldes, while the CHP won the municipal seat in Ürgüp, which includes Mustafapaşa, in the same election.

Although the elections involve a small population mostly living in rural areas, party leaders view them as a test ahead of the 2028 presidential elections.