Erdogan Vows to Appeal Municipal Election Results 'Wherever Needed' - Reports

22:21 GMT, 31 March 2019

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that the only reason why his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost some cities was that "we could not express ourselves enough" to voters.

Sputnik

The Turkish president, referring to the losses of his AK party, stressed Monday that "we will appeal the results wherever needed", adding that he would take necessary measures at ministries and institutions to make the system of governance more dynamic. He said there would not be another election for four and a half years, according to Reuters.

Erdogan Claims Early Vote Tallies Show AK Party Leading Across Turkey - Reports

31 March 2019, 19:16 GMT

"In Istanbul, the majority of the districts are either ours or head-to-head. What does this mean? Even if our people gave away the mayorship, they gave the districts to the AK Party", Erdogan told supporters in Ankara, cited by Reuters.

Sunday's elections are crucial in Turkey's polarized political landscape following a new currency crisis and increased unemployment rates that have left many Turkish nationals critical of the increasingly autocratic Erdogan. Final results of the elections will elect mayors and officials in over 81 of Turkey's municipalities, 49 of which are currently governed by Erdogan's AK Party.

According to the Anadolu news agency, the AK Party leads after securing 16 metropolitan municipalities and 24 cities, including Istanbul.