Following the local elections yesterday (29 March), around 98 percent of all votes were counted by 8.30 am today.
Depending on where they live, citizens cast up to five votes in the polls yesterday. Everyone voted for the neighbourhood official (muhtar), a district mayor, a district municipal council and a province municipal council. Those living in one of the sixteen largest cities also voted for a greater municipal mayor.
These elections have been considered by most a kind of referendum on current political issues far beyond local themes. Thus, Prime Minister Erdoğan’s clash with Israeli President Peres in Davos, the ongoing Ergenekon trial, the economic crisis and discussions on the Kurdish question are said to have affected votes.
Loss in points for AKP
The Justice and Development Party (AKP), party of the government, led the polls in terms of municipal council votes, but lost points and municipalities in total. With around 15 million 216 thousand votes so far, the party has netted 39.02 percent. This represents a loss of 2.65 percent compared to the last local elections in 2004, and a loss of 7.56 percent compared to the general elections in 2007.
According to the Ntvmsnbc wbsite, the AKP won 10 of the 16 Greater Municipalities, losing Mersin and Antalya in the south of the country to the Republican People’s Party (CHP), but keeping Istanbul and Ankara, among others. The party has also lost eleven provincial municipalities, and 34 district municipalities, holding on to 35 provincial municipalities and 449 district municipalities.
Gains for CHP and MHP
The CHP ranks second nationally, and has gained in the municipal councils. Apart from taking over the Greater Municipalities of Antalya and Mersion, it has also won again in the Greater Municipality of Izmir in the west of Turkey. The party has won 10 provincial municipalities (compared to 6 in 2004), and 168 district municipalities (compared to 130 before). With around 9 million 57 thousand 980 votes so far, the party has netted 23.22 percent., which represents 4.99 percent more than in the previous local elections, and 2.34 percent more than in the general elections in 2007.
Third party is the National Movement Party (MHP), which has netted around 6 million 295 thousand votes so far, 16.14 percent of the votes in the provincial municipal polls. This represents a 5.68 percent increase from 2004, and an increase by 1.86 percent from the general elections. Like the CHP, the MHP has also gained, winning the Greater Municipality of Adana in the south of Turkey. It has won 9 provincial municipalities (compared to 4 in 2004), and 128 district municipalities (compared to 72 in the previous local elections).
DTP has taken four new provincial municipalities
The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) has received 5.42 percent of the municipal votes, with around 2 million 114 thousand 780 votes so far. Unsurprisingly, it has held on to the Greater Municipality of Diyarbakır, and has managed to win four province municipalities from the AKP, thus netting seven provincial municipalities: Tunceli, Batman, Siirt, Şırnak, Hakkari, Van and Iğdır.
Other parties
Several province municipalities were taken by other parties: In Yalova, in the west of Turkey, the Democratic Party (DP) won a majority. The Democratic Left Party (DSP) won in the western province of Eskişehir and the Black Sea province of Ordu. In Sivas, the death of its MP and party chair Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu in a helicopter crash just days before the election caused a swing in votes, so that the province has been taken by Yazıcıoğlu’s party, the Great Union Party (BBP). In Şanlıurfa, in the southeast of Turkey, independent candidate Dr. Eşref Ahmet Fakıbaba has managed to take the province from the AKP.
Several deaths
The elections were not without public disturbances. Particularly fights over muhtar elections in ten provinces (Şanlıurfa, Afyonkarahisar, Hatay, Ağrı, Iğdır, Adana, Mersin, Diyarbakır, Kars, and Van) led to six deaths. More than 100 people were injured.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at around midnight, evaluating the election results as a victory, but conceding that “lessons would be learnt” from the result, which was lower than expected. He has previously mentioned possible changes in cabinet. (AG)
