Expert: “If IMAMOGLU wins Istanbul local election again, he is likely to become president in 2028”

Özer Sencar, the founder and director of MetroPOLL Research, has predicted that if Ekrem İmamoğlu is re-elected as the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor in the local elections in March, he is very likely to become the President in 2028.

In an interview with ‘Turkey Recap,’ where 21 experts shared their forecasts for various fields ranging from domestic politics to elections, economy, and world affairs for the year 2024, Sencar, one of the 21 experts, stated that the most crucial outcome of the local elections would once again come from Istanbul. He believes that whoever wins would significantly shape the political scene for the next quarter-century.

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“If İmamoğlu wins, he will most likely also win the presidential election in 2028, becoming the president for the next 20 years,” said Sencar. In another scenario, he foresaw Erdogan probably remaining the President until the end of his life, and many political actors withdrawing from the political stage.

Sencar also commented on the role of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEM Party) in the upcoming elections planned for March. He suggested that if DEM Party conducted a serious campaign with influential candidates, it could lead to significant losses for the CHP in terms of municipal seats.

Sencar stated, “There doesn’t seem to be a significant change in the votes for AKP, CHP, MHP, and DEM Party. In the case of İYİ Party, a notable decrease would not be surprising.”