Turkey: AK Party takes deputies from opposition parties

ANKARA

Turkey’s Justice and Development (AK) Party clinched victory in the country’s 26th general election on Sunday by taking 59 deputies back from opposition parties compared to June 7 election.

According to preliminary results compiled by Anadolu Agency, the AK Party secured 317 seats at the 550-seat Grand National Assembly, increasing its vote rate by 8.61 points.

The party regained four deputies from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), 18 deputies from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and 37 deputies from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

With 100 percent of the votes counted, the AK Party leads with 49.48 percent, followed by the CHP with 25.31 percent (134 seats). The MHP got 11.90 percent (40 seats) while the HDP secured 10.75 percent (59 seats), just above the election threshold requirement of 10 percent.

Dominating the polls in 78 provinces, the AK Party received a major boost in Istanbul, increasing the number of its deputies from 39 to 46 in the province.

The HDP has lost 21 parliamentary seats since the June general election. Despite having more votes than HDP, the MHP has just won 40 seats, losing nearly half of its deputies compared to June.

According to the Supreme Election Council, during the June election the HDP passed the 10 percent threshold for the first time with 13.07 percent of the vote to take 80 seats while the MHP won 16.29 of the vote and also gained 80 seats.

The snap poll had been called following June's inconclusive general election that saw no party win a majority and coalition talks failed to produce an administration.