By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu
ANKARA (AA) - The co-leader of Turkey's opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Tuesday called on people living in Istanbul to come out and vote in the June 23 Istanbul re-elections.
"I make a call for people living in Istanbul from here. Object to YSK's [Supreme Election Council] lawlessness of 250 pages. Let's give such a strong response, so that the difference [in votes between the ruling and opposition alliance] becomes 250,000," Pervin Buldan told her party's parliamentary group.
Buldan's remark came after the top election body announced last week a justification for a re-vote in Istanbul.
"Now, my remarks should pass into history. They have fabricated 250 pages. Because they could not protect [their legal decision]," she said.
Some 30,281 voters in 108 ballot boxes were declared invalid due to a lack of or unsigned counting sheets, YSK said in a statement.
Also, polling clerks who were not civil servants served in 754 polling centers in the March 31 mayoral elections in Istanbul.
The council said this unprecedented practice would affect the vote difference of 13,729 between the ruling and opposition alliances and therefore raise questions on the validity of results.
The results of the March vote were canceled after the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and its coalition partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) appealed, citing irregularities and contradictions with the country's election law.