Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that some “organized crime” had been carried out during last week’s election for Istanbul mayor, when results showed his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate narrowly lost the race.
The AKP demanded a recount in Ankara and Istanbul, citing irregularities after tallies showed the party was defeated in both cities in what would be a major setback in a decade and a half in power.
Erdogan’s remarks appeared to signal more AKP challenges over Istanbul, the nation’s economic hub and largest city, echoing commentary in pro-government media last week denouncing a “ballot box putsch” during the March 31 election.
Photo: AP
“We are seeing that some organized crimes have been carried out,” Erdogan said at a press conference before a trip to Russia, without giving details. “There is an element of robbery in all of this. There was some theft at the ballot box.”
In the capital, Ankara, the Supreme Electoral Council yesterday officially handed opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate Mansur Yavas his mandate.
Erdogan’s AKP won most votes nationwide in the election, but voters appeared to punish the party in the two big cities, with Turkey’s economy in recession and inflation in double digits after a currency crisis last year.
Defeat in Istanbul would be especially sensitive for Erdogan, who grew up in one of its working-class districts and began his political career as mayor of the city.
AKP’s candidate for Istanbul, former prime minister Binali Yildirim, and CHP’s Ekrem Imamoglu both declared victory soon after the Istanbul race, when initial results showed a dead heat.
Electoral authorities later said Imamoglu was winning by about 20,000 ballots, but that gap has narrowed during a week of recounting.
Both parties say the difference is now less than 17,000 ballots. The two candidates each received more than 4 million votes.
Imamoglu has declared himself Istanbul mayor and called on the AKP to accept the result.
Erdogan said that when there was a problem with a percentage of votes in other countries, appeals and even new elections were not unusual.
“No one has the right to declare themselves victorious with a difference of around 13,000 to 14,000 votes,” Erdogan said of the Istanbul results. “As for the irregularities, it was not just in some places, almost all of it is irregular.”
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