Gap between popularity ratings of Erdoğan, İmamoğlu 'closing'

According to a poll carried out by Metropoll research company, the gap between the popularity ratings of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is closing. Erdoğan topped the list with 50.2 percent popularity rating, while İmamoğlu ranked second with 48.6 percent. Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş ranked third on the list with 38.8 percent.

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The gap between the popularity ratings of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is closing, according to a poll carried out by Metropoll research company.

Erdoğan topped the list with 50.2 percent popularity rating, while İmamoğlu ranked second with 48.6 percent.

İmamoğlu is a fairly new figure in Turkish politics. His popularity increased after he became the Istanbul mayoral candidate from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) last year.

Following a decision to re-run Istanbul elections by the Supreme Election Board (YSK), İmamoğlu secured a decisive victory against his rival Binali Yıldırım from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş ranked third on the list with 38.8 percent, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli ranked fourth with 34.3 percent and CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu ranked fifth with 33.7 percent.

The participants were also asked which party they would vote for if elections were held this Sunday.

The AKP topped the list with 34.2 percent of the votes, the CHP ranked second with 20.7 percent, while the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) ranked third with 9.2 percent.

When the undecided, abstaining and unresponsive voters are distributed, the AKP was seen to get 41 percent of the votes, the CHP 24.8 percent and the HDP 11 percent.