MHP in deep decline, CHP keeps votes in Aegean powerhouses
Photo shows the pier of Karu015fu0131yaka in Izmir, the city known as the ,Pearl of the Aegean, in Turkey. (File Photo)


The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), whose votes dropped from 16.29 percent in the June 7 elections to 11.95 percent in the November 1 polls, received a heavy blow in Turkey's western provinces in the Aegean region.In the eastern parts of the Aegean region, where the MHP traditionally wins, it lost votes to the Justice and Development Party (AK) Party, above the Turkey average. In the province of Kütahya, the MHP's votes dropped from 26.59 percent in the June 7 elections to 15.68 percent in the November 1 elections. In the province of Afyonkarahisar, MHP votes dropped from 25.08 percent to 16.84 percent and in the Uşak province from 27.44 percent to 18 percent. The AK party had 13, 11 and 8.5 percent increases in these provinces, respectively.In the rest of the Aegean region, where the MHP, the AK Party and the Republican People Party (CHP) contend against each other, MHP's votes also decreased just like the rest of the country. In Izmir, Manisa, Aydın, Denizli, Muğla and Balıkesir provinces, MHP votes respectively decreased by 2.5, 6, 2.3, 3.5, 3.8 and 5.5 percent, whereas AK Party votes increased by 4.7, 7, 4.7, 5.8, 3 and 6.5 percent in return.Other than less than one percent decreases in Denizli and Afyonkarahisar, the CHP managed to keep or increase its votes throughout the region. In Turkey's third most populous province, Izmir, the party increased its votes from 44.77 percent to 46.26 percent. In coastal Aydın and Muğla provinces, the CHP was again the leading party with 40.41 and 47.85 percent of the votes.Throughout the region, the Peoples' Democratic Party's votes (HDP) decreased by one-thirds or one fourths compared to the June 7 elections.According to 98 percent vote count so far, AK Party leads with 49.35 percent votes (316 parliamentary seats), followed by the CHP with 25.45 percent (134 seats).The MHP got 11.97 percent votes (41 seats), while the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) secured only 10.61 percent (59 seats), which is just above the election threshold requirement of 10 percent.The preliminary voter turnout across Turkey stood at 86.76 percent.The preliminary results were released after Turkey's Supreme Election Board lifted a broadcast ban at 7 p.m. local time.More than 54 million Turks were eligible to vote in a poll to elect 550 deputies to the Grand National Assembly.