Turkey: Ruling party contesting Ankara poll results

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's ruling party is officially challenging the results of Sunday’s local elections in all 25 districts of the capital Ankara, according to the party’s provincial head.

Hakan Han Ozcan announced on Tuesday that the Justice and Development (AK) Party is also contesting irregularities in 3,217 ballot boxes.

The process for applying to the Supreme Electoral Council to contest Sunday’s poll results ended on Tuesday at 3.00 p.m. local time (1200GMT).

- March 31 local elections in Turkey

Millions of Turkish voters cast their votes nationwide Sunday in elections to choose Turkey’s mayors, city council members, mukhtars (neighborhood officials), and members of elder councils for the next five years.

According to unofficial results, the AK Party is leading in 15 metropolitan municipalities (larger cities), with 24 cities claimed by AK Party candidates.

In the Istanbul mayor’s race, Ekrem Imamoglu of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), with 48.79 percent of the votes, has a narrow lead over the AK Party’s Binali Yildirim, with 48.51 percent.

Mansur Yavas, the CHP’s mayoral candidate in Ankara, is leading with 50.91 percent of votes, according to unofficial results, with the AK Party’s Mehmet Ozhaseki at 47.1 percent.

* Writing by Beyza Binnur Donmez