*Photo: AA (Archive)
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The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Spokesperson Faik Öztrak has held a press conference on the recounting of the votes in the local elections.
Öztrak criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) deputy chair Ali İhsan Yavuz, who said that the election was "the greatest blemish in the democratic history of Turkey."
"Words like 'There is an operation against us", "dubious elections" are troublous statements that a party's deputy chair should not make. Would Ali İhsan Yavuz uttered these words had they won?"
"AKP claim is tragicomic"
"Him saying there is doubt on elections is tragicomic. This statement paves the way for other statements that are extremely dangerous. In the pool media [the pro-government media], the expressions like "coup at the polls", "the second Gezi [protests]" are also words that would cause polarization in the country.
"All the party officials should speak responsibly in this period. As the CHP, we are not against the use of the objection mechanism. The objections should be good-willed and lawful."
"Turkey can't stand uncertainty"
"Today, at the point we have come, Turkey can't stand uncertainty. In İstanbul, appeals were rejected in 12 districts, a full recount was decided for five districts, counting is done in three districts, and it was decided to recount 10 ballot boxes in one district. In 18 districts, the decision process is continuing.
"After the counting completed at the ballots, Yavaş [Mansur, CHP candidate for the capital Ankara] and İmamoğlu emerged as the elected mayors. We mentioned a vote difference about 27 thousand [at the election night]. The Supreme Election Council (YSK) chair had to announce the results in the next morning.
"The process is continuing more or less the same way. We are experiencing interesting events. In one district, [the authorities] only took the votes for the government party into consideration. We objected the votes for the Nation Alliance [the informal alliance between the CHP and its ally İYİ (Good) Party] not being taken into consideration."
"Counting completed in three districts"
"Our colleagues rapidly enter data that comes from the district election council. According to the data that reached us, counting is completed in the Princes' Islands, Eyüp and Büyükçekmece, there are not many differences [before and after the recounting]. I don't think the results will change much." (PT/VK)
