Turkey: Opposition criticizes re-run of Istanbul polls

By Baris Gundogan and Adem Balta

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s main opposition party leader on Tuesday said "very good things" would happen over the top election board’s decision to re-run Istanbul election.

"Very good things will happen; nobody should be worried. We will bring democracy to this country […]," Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu told journalists in the capital Ankara.

"Our fight will be for democracy," Kilicdaroglu added.

On Monday, Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) announced that a do-over election in Istanbul will be held on June 23.

The council accepted the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's objection to the local election results in Istanbul with seven votes in favor and four against.

The YSK said the decision was based on the fact that some ballot committee members presiding over ballot boxes in the province during at the elections were not civil servants as is required by law.

Opposition Good (IYI) Party leader Meral Aksener also criticized the decision, saying: "I’m ashamed to be a party head who is left in a position to seek democracy in Turkey 21st century."

Aksener told her party’s parliamentary group meeting that she would continue to carry the banner of democracy.

* Writing by Sena Guler