Stockshots of Istanbul ahead of the 2024 local elections in Turkey. Turks will vote on 31 March in local elections as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, buoyed by a strong showing in last year's general elections, set his sights on winning back Turkey's economic powerhouse Istanbul. Erdogan's Islamic-rooted AKP party enters nationwide municipal polls with an ultimate goal of winning back not only Istanbul but also the capital Ankara in the hands of the opposition. The powerful leader in particular eyes Istanbul -- where he grew up and began his political career as mayor -- and seeks to win back the largest city from arch secular opposition rival Ekrem Imamoglu. IMAGES