İstanbul Elections: Recount Done, CHP Expects Mandate

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The recount in İstanbul was completed last night (April 16), after the remaining ballots in Maltepe district were recounted.

Election authorities decided for a recount of invalid votes in all districts and all votes in some districts.

After the recount of 1,089 ballot boxes was done in Maltepe, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu announced that Ekrem İmamoğlu, the party's candidate, won the election by a margin of 13,781 votes.

On the certificate of election, Kaftancığlu said, "It should be given as of April 1. Tomorrow, we will get our certificate of election that has been hijacked for 15 days."

AKP's extraordinary petition and suitcases

AKP yesterday submitted a petition of extraordinary objection to the Supreme Election Council (YSK), requesting that local elections be canceled and re-elections be held in İstanbul. Party officials went to the YSK building with three suitcases.

CLICK - AKP Submits Petition of Extraordinary Objection and Requests Repeat Election in İstanbul

However, CHP questioned the legitimacy of the appeal that AKP said it made. MP Barış Yarkadaş tweeted, "The laws say that an objection can be raised based on 'concrete evidence', not on suspicions. Moreover, 'extraordinary objection' is not accepted before the certificate of election is given."

"At the moment the joint minutes are written, we assume office"

İmamoğlu (left) came across with his rival Binali Yıldırım at Özal's grave, the two greeted each other and shook hands.

The mayor-elect Ekrem İmamoğlu made a statement in the morning, saying he will assume office once the combination of the minutes is completed.

İmamoğlu paid a visit to the grave of Turgut Özal, the eighth President of Turkey, on the anniversary of his death.

Speaking to the journalists after the visit, İmamoğlu said, "The joint minutes in Maltepe are about to be written, now, joint minutes in İstanbul will also become clear. After that, the certificate of election loses its meaning. At the moment the joint minutes are written, this means we assumed office."

When asked about the police gathering in front of the Metropolitan Municipality in Fatih district, İmamoğlu said that he does not have information. (AS/VK)