31 October 2018•Update: 31 October 2018
By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu
ANKARA
A leading main opposition lawmaker on Wednesday threw his hat into the ring for the Istanbul mayoral race next March.
"If Istanbul's great potential and economic and ecological resources are used wisely, not only Istanbul but also Turkey will reap the rewards," Gursel Tekin, Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker for Istanbul, told reporters in parliament.
Telling how nearly one-fifth of Turkey's population lives in Istanbul, he added that Istanbul accounts for one-third of the nation's economy.
"I will run for [mayor of the] Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality," he said.
Local elections are set to be held on March 31, 2019 nationwide.
The Istanbul mayor's office is a major position. Current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan served at the post from 1994 to 1998.
