Hijabi woman wins mayoral seat in Turkey's Istanbul for first time ever

A hijabi woman candidate has won a municipal seat in the Turkish city of Istanbul for the first time in the country's history, according to local media.

Seyma Dogucu of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the mayoral position in the Istanbul district of Sancaktepe in local elections on Sunday, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Monday.

Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak said that Dogucu was the only woman candidate to win in the country's economic capital, where one-fifth of the population lives.

It said the 54-year-old was the first hijab-wearing woman to win a municipal vote in the city.

According to the outlet, she won with 49.91 percent of the vote in a tight race, with the candidate from the opposition CHP taking 47.12 percent.

Dogucu has taken to Twitter to thank voters in Sancaktepe.

The victory comes despite AKP appealing against results in Istanbul and Ankara after tallies showed the party lost the majority of seats in both key cities.

AKP and coalition partner won more than 50 percent of votes nationwide in the local ballot, but defeat in both Turkey's capital and its economic hub would be a setback after the party's decade and a half in power.

The official results are currently pending the appeals process.

Ankara and Istanbul have been held by the AKP and its Islamic-oriented predecessor for 25 years.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's own ascent to power began as Istanbul mayor in 1994.