48.265,644 people had the right to vote in the local elections that took place on March 29, 2009. At the local elections in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan, voters in metropolitan municipalities cast their votes for mayors, members of provincial councils, district mayors, members of district councils and muhtars (neighbourhood heads).{divide}
The AKP still ranks first; however, it lost votes for the first time since it became the government in 2002. Getting 38,8, % of the provincial council votes in all the country, it lost three points when compared to 2004 local elections and eight points over 2007 parliamentary elections. The AKP lost 12 mayoral seats and has now 46 provinces left.
The other bourgeois regime parties profited from the AKP loosing votes and the wish for change of the people. CHP became with 23, 1% the second party and won 13 provinces. The fascist MHP succeeded to gaining 9 provinces and 16% of the votes.
The national Kurdish movement increased its posts during these elections. The DTP , which became with 5.6% the fourth in the whole country and increased its number of provinces from 5 to 8, increased its vote's considerably in Kurdistan and is undoubtedly one of the main winners of these elections. In total, the DTP won 99 local authorities. Before, it was governing in 36 places. Using any means from naked violence to presents like washing machines and fridges or the opening of a Kurdish TV channel, the AKP tried to get a hold in Kurdistan, especially in Amed and Dersim, but in vain. The DTP has beaten all records; the mayor of Amed, Osman Baydemir was re-elected with 65, 43%, which is more than twice of the AKP's votes. Also in Dersim, the DTP won clearly. The votes for the DTP reached up to 79% in Hakkari and 90% in Yüksekova. The DTP was the party with the highest number of female candidates; 14 women have been elected as mayors and provincial mayors.
In Istanbul, the candidate of the AKP, Kadir Topbas, won after a bitter fight against the candidate of the CHP, with 44, 33% of the votes. In Ankara, the situation was similar.
The candidate of the united platform "Together we will do it", formed by 23 revolutionary and democratic organisations and parties including the ESP and DTP, got the fifth place with 4,6% in Istanbul. Tuncer Bakirhan, candidate of the same platform in the district Esenyurt in Istanbul reached the highest proportion that the candidates of the platform has reached; he got the 14.7% of the votes. In Bahcelievler, disitrict of Istanbul, Ayse Yumli Yeter, general chairwoman of the union Tekstil-Sen candidating for the same platform, got 17.670 votes, which means being the third biggest force there with 5,75% of the votes.
During the elections, it came to different attacks and conflict. In Mardin, Nusaybin for instance, activists of the AKP attacked people of the DTP. Weapons were used in this assault and 6 people have been injured. Moreover, election assistants of the ESP of the candidate of the united platform Ayse Yumli Yeter have been attacked and injured by fascists of the MHP. In total, 7 persons have been killed and 97 injured during conflicts because of the elections in different parts of the country. Furthermore, 915 have been detained when they went to the ballots in order to vote. Among them is also Yagiz Önel from the SGD in Ankara.