AKP convenes top executive body

ANKARA

President and the leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has convened his party’s top executive body to discuss a series of analyses regarding the local election results as his party experienced a decline in support.

Erdoğan chaired the meeting at the AKP headquarters with the participation of the members of the Central Executive Council (MYK) on April 30 in the second top-level meeting of the party since the March 31 local elections.

In the elections, the AKP came in second place behind the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), seeing a decline in votes from 44.33 percent in 2019 to 35.48 percent this year.

During the meeting on April 30, the AKP discussed a comprehensive assessment regarding the electoral setback, aiming to chart a roadmap for change within the party’s organization.

Erkan Kandemir, the deputy chairman in charge of local organizations, prepared a detailed presentation on analyses of the election results in each province and district.

Following the discussion, a wave of change within the AKP is expected to start from grassroots organizations, with a special focus on provinces where the party's leadership suffered electoral setbacks, in addition to narrowly missed victories, according to several media reports.

The initial phase of change is slated to unfold within the provincial and district chairmanships where the party witnessed electoral losses.

The 27-member MYK is the party’s top executive body, where Efkan Ala and Mustafa Elitaş are two of Erdoğan’s top aides.