Opposition claims to have edge in Ankara mayor's race

ANKARA

Although the ruling party has challenged the results from Sunday’s election in the capital Ankara, the main opposition party candidate still won the mayoral seat by over 124,000 votes, claimed an opposition official on Friday.

After recounts, main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) candidate Mansur Yavas got 124,489 more votes than Mehmet Ozhaseki, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party’s candidate, said Rifki Guvener, the CHP’s Ankara provincial head.

Guvener’s statement followed remarks by an AK Party official saying a recount had so far produced more votes for Ozhaseki.

A recount in 12 out of Ankara’s 25 districts gave 1,805 more votes to Ozhaseki, and 666 more for Yavas, said Fatih Sahin, the AK Party's secretary general, on Thursday.

The AK Party’s efforts to contest the results will continue, he said, as their requests for a recount were accepted in 13 districts, but denied in 12.

According to unofficial results before the recount, Yavas was leading with 50.91% of the vote, with Ozhaseki at 47.15%.

Last Sunday millions of Turkish voters nationwide voted in local elections to choose 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) and 24 smaller cities.