The Electoral Authority in Turkey on Monday ordered a new municipal ballot in Istanbul, acceding to a request by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party, which was contesting the opposition's victory in the elections at the end of March. The Islamic-conservative presidential party, the AKP, called for a new vote by denouncing "irregularities" that he said enamelled the March 31 vote. "The elections in Istanbul will be renewed," welcomed on Twitter the representative of the AKP with the YSK, Recep Ozel.
The decision to cancel the vote and to order a new vote was taken after a meeting of the YSK in Ankara to consider an "extraordinary appeal" presented by the AKP in mid -April, according to the state agency Anadolu. Media reported June 23 as a possible date for the new ballot.
The loss of Istanbul, a snub for the presidential party
In the elections of 31 March, the candidate of several opposition parties, Ekrem Imamoglu, beat the AKP, former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, with less than 13,000 votes in advance, a small gap to scale of the Turkish megacity. AKP Recep Tayyip Erdogan also lost the capital Ankara, a snub that is particularly explained by the economic storm that shakes the country, with the first recession in 10 years, inflation to 20% and a currency that is eroding .
Uncertainty surrounding the results of the municipal elections in Istanbul has weighed on the Turkish lira, which has accumulated losses in recent days to move Monday above six liras for one dollar. Refusing to admit the defeat in Istanbul, controlled by the Islamist movement for 25 years, Recep Tayyip Erdogan shouted at "massive irregularities". The AKP accuses polling station officials of minimizing the number of votes won by its candidate.
Erdogan accused of being a "bad loser" by the opposition
The main opposition party CHP (social-democrat), of which Ekrem Imamoglu is a member, accuses Recep Tayyip Erdogan of being a "bad loser" and of wanting to hang on by all means to Istanbul, the economic and demographic capital of country. Following the YSK decision, the CHP convened an urgent meeting of its management in Istanbul. The party, however, called its supporters to "calm." Increasing pressure on the YSK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan had once again called Saturday to renew the poll in Istanbul, urging the Electoral Authority to "relieve the consciences of our fellow citizens."
The loss of Istanbul, the economic capital of Turkey where 20% of the country's population lives, was an unprecedented setback for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was mayor from 1994 to 1998. A mandate that served as a springboard for then run for the highest positions. On Sunday, the Anadolu news agency claimed that the authorities had established links between a "terrorist organization" and polling station officials who had officiated at the municipal ballot in Istanbul.