Election Council Rejects AKP’s Request for Recounting All Votes in 31 Districts in İstanbul

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The Supreme Election Council (YSK) has rejected the request of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for recounting of votes in İstanbul.

Appealing to the YSK, the AKP previously requested that the local elections be cancelled in the district of Büyükçekmece and the votes cast in 31 districts in İstanbul be counted again. Making a statement for the press on April 7, Ali İhsan Yavuz, the Vice Chair of the AKP responsible for electoral affairs, announced that they would request recount of votes in 38 districts.

The Council convened yesterday (April 8) at 5 p.m. to discuss the appeal of the AKP. After a six-hour meeting, AKP's Representative to the YSK Recep Özel made a statement and announced that the council has rejected the request for recounting of votes in 31 districts of İstanbul.

Özel further stated that the YSK has made a decision of recounting votes in 51 ballot boxes in different districts in İstanbul.

Reactions to YSK's decision on İstanbul

After it was announced that the YSK has rejected the AKP's request for recounting of votes in 31 districts, the İstanbul Provincial Organization of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has released the following statement on its official Twitter account:

"The Supreme Election Council has rejected the request for recounting all votes. This decision has once again confirmed our victory in İstanbul. We are inviting everyone to the democracy watch in District Election Councils until the day when we receive our certificate of election."

Faik Öztrak, the Spokesperson of the CHP, has also stated on his Twitter account: "Best wishes, Mayor Ekrem [İmamoğlu] and congratulations İstanbul, you finally have your mayor." 

Muharrem Erkek, the Vice Chair of the CHP responsible for Legal Affairs, has also written, "#YSK has rejected the request of the AK Party for recounting all votes in İstanbul. Best wishes, Ekrem İmamoğlu. #İstanbul finally has its mayor."

AKP: We will appeal to the YSK again

AKP Vice Chair Ali İhsan Yavuz has also posted a tweet regarding the rejection of the YSK: "When all irregularities are blatantly obvious, it is inexplicable how such a decision has been made."

Announcing the decision of the council, Recep Özel, AKP's representative to the YSK, said, "We will try the method of extraordinary objection."

İstanbul Bar: Citizens know election results

Releasing a statement regarding the March 31 local elections and its aftermath yesterday, the İstanbul Bar Association stated,

"Elections have ended in İstanbul and no matter for whom they voted, all citizens know the election results. 'The natural flow of life' has to be declared. That is why the law exists."

AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik criticized the statement of the bar association in his speech last evening. Çelik said, "As a matter of fact, it is extremely grave that the İstanbul Bar Association puts itself in the place of Supreme Election Council, acts as a marginal party and behaves as if it had the monopoly over the will of its own members. This institution should once again remember that it is not a political party, but a legal institution."

51 ballot boxes to be recounted in İstanbul:

(HK/AS/SD)