AKP Applies for Recount of All Votes in İstanbul; İmamoğlu: Margin is 16,386 Votes

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Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has appealed to the Supreme Election Council (YSK), requesting that in addition to the capital city of Ankara, all votes cast in İstanbul be counted again as well.

As reported by Demirören News Agency (DHA), the AKP has objected to unofficial local election results in all districts in İstanbul, except for Büyükçekmece. The party has requested that the elections be cancelled in the district of Büyükçekmece. The YSK is obliged to announce its decision regarding the objection of the AKP in three days.

'There is an organized irregularity'

Making a statement for the press yesterday (April 7), Ali İhsan Yavuz, the AKP Vice Chair responsible for Electoral Affairs, shared the latest figure that they had received from the YSK.

Accordingly, Yavuz announced that the margin of votes between Ekrem İmamoğlu, the candidate of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and İYİ Party for Metropolitan Mayorship of İstanbul, and Binali Yıldırım, the candidate of the AKP and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has fallen to 16 thousand 442.

In his statement, Yavuz also alleged, "There is an organized irregularity, an organized misconduct. There are some things beyond mistakes."

İmamoğlu: 78 percent of invalid votes recounted

Speaking to the press shortly after the statement of Ali İhsan Yavuz, Ekrem İmamoğlu stated, "According to the latest data as of this moment, 78 percent of approximately 330 thousand invalid votes have been recounted. The margin is 16 thousand 380 votes."

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, İmamoğlu announced that while he has received 4 million 171 thousand 393 votes across İstanbul, the number of votes cast for Yıldırım is 4 million, 155 thousand 13.

'You are harming the country'

In his statement for the press, İmamoğlu further stated, "I feel sorry and let me say this in expressing my sadness: I understand the İstanbul Provincial Organization of the AKP, which has lost, they will pay a price. I also understand some friends from the Central Office, they will also pay a price. I understand their sorrow and struggle, but you are harming the country."

Concluding his remarks, İmamoğlu also shared his calculations regarding the period of time necessary for recounting all votes cast in İstanbul. İmamoğlu said that it would take 238 days to count all votes across İstanbul. (HK/SD)