The Turkish High Election Board has started recounting votes in eight districts of the country's capital of Istanbul, after the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) appealed against the results of the city's mayoral election, board head Sadi Guven said on Wednesday
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2019) The Turkish High Election Board has started recounting votes in eight districts of the country's capital of Istanbul, after the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) appealed against the results of the city's mayoral election, board head Sadi Guven said on Wednesday.
The AKP appealed the results of the election on Tuesday after it became apparent that the candidate from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was winning the mayorship by a narrow margin.
"The Istanbul results that were announced earlier are not official. Vote recounts have started in eight districts in compliance with the appeals that we have received. We have received requests to recount invalid ballots. This is not the first case of this kind. Such recounts can turn out to be beneficial not only for those who object but for those who do not object as well," Guven told reporters.
Candidates from 13 political parties took part in the municipal elections on Sunday, in which mayors and municipal districts, along with local assembly representatives were elected.
Thought Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared the AKP's victory in the elections on Monday, CHP claims that its mayoral candidates are winning in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, Turkey's largest cities.
Meanwhile, the AKP appears to have won local elections in 39 Turkish provinces, while CHP candidates have won in 21.
The final results of the elections are expected to be announced in several days, after all appeals are reviewed.
