Elections

A senior ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) official has said his party will file a criminal complaint against what they believe are irregularities and rigging committed in the March 31 local elections in Istanbul regardless of whether or not the Supreme Election Council (YSK) renews the polls, claiming FETÖ meddling.

Parliament on Wednesday repeated a vote on a bill concerning President Klaus Iohannis' request for a national consultative referendum on issues of national concern, eliminating some initial recommendations to the head of state. There were 218 yeas, 11 nays and three abstentions for the new text of the bill.

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy chairman Ali İhsan Yavuz has submitted official paperwork to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) to annul the results of the March 31 Istanbul mayoral election, with his party seeking a do-over in the entire province. 

Turkey's ruling AKP wants "crystal clear" results of Istanbul elections, the party spokesman said on April 11.         

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul mayoral candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu has said his party has confidence in the Supreme Election Board (YSK) and that it would make the right ruling amid claims of vote irregularities in the elections by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which said it will file an objection to the results of the March 31 elections.

Turkey's Supreme Election Council on April 8 partially rejected an appeal by the ruling AKP to recount all votes in Istanbul except for 51 ballot boxes in 21 districts.       

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate Mansur Yavaş won the mayoral seat in Turkish capital Ankara by over 124,000 votes, claimed a party official on April 5, despite an appeal by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) against the results.

Both the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) are relentlessly claiming victories in Istanbul, Turkey's biggest province, in the local elections, as the country's election watchdog accepted an appeal made by the AKP demanding votes deemed invalid in 15 of Istanbul's districts are recounted after the board said the CHP's candidate had

Both the ruling and opposition parties have contested the local election results in several cities and towns across the country.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has submitted complaints of voting irregularities in the March 31 elections for several districts in Istanbul, Ankara, Siirt, Adıyaman, Denizli, Zonguldak, Karabük, Bartın, Samsun, Erzurum and Yalova.