State-run Anadolu Agency: We Condemn Ekrem İmamoğlu

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After main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul Metropolitan Mayoral candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu accused the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) of cutting data flow on the night of March 31 local elections, the Agency has released a written statement targeting İmamoğlu.

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Indicating that İmamoğlu unjustly accused and targeted the AA, the Agency has made the following statement:

"As it was stated at the night of March 31 and for several other times, Anadolu Agency could not convey the final data to its subscribers and waited for the Supreme Election Council (YSK) in announcing the results of 80 provinces as the result in İstanbul did not become clear though 99 percent of ballot boxes were opened and, depending on that, the data flow stopped.

'YSK announces election results, not the AA'

"The AA left it to the YSK to announce the final results after the rate of opened ballot boxes reached 99 percent, just as it had one in previous six elections. What was done on March 31 is not different than other elections.

"We would like to specifically remind the public that the AA is not a media organization that announces election results, but an organization that conveys data. Elections results in Turkey are announced by Supreme Election Council, not by Anadolu Agency.

"We would like to respectfully announce it to the public that we condemn Dear İmamoğlu once again for targeting our agency and made unjust accusations despite our all statements." (HA/SD)