"There were not just some irregularities during the election in Istanbul, there were systematic irregularities… The citizens demand that their rights be fully respected. Our duty is to protect them. There is proof from cameras and other evidence. We are talking about stealing of votes at polling places," Erdogan told journalists.
READ MORE: Erdogan Declares Ruling Party Victory in Turkish Municipal Elections
On Sunday, the AKP said it was seeking the complete recount of all votes cast in the Istanbul mayoral election, in which Ekrem Imamoglu, an opposition candidate from the Republican People’s Party, won the country's main economic centre by a slim margin of about 14,000 votes, according to preliminary results. Prior to that, the party had applied for the recount of only the ballots that were cancelled.