Although the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) challenged the results from Sunday's election in the capital Ankara, an opposition official claimed on Friday that the Republican People's Party's (CHP) candidate still won the mayoral seat by over 124,000 votes.

After a recount, the CHP's Ankara provincial head Rıfkı Güvener said that their candidate Mansur Yavaş got 124,489 more votes than the AK Party's candidate Mehmet Özhaseki. Güvener's statement followed remarks by AK Party Secretary-General Fatih Şahin saying a recount had so far produced more votes for Özhaseki.

Şahin said on Thursday that a recount in 12 out of Ankara's 25 districts gave 1,805 more votes to Özhaseki, and 666 more for Yavaş. 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.

AK Party Ankara Province Chairman Hakan Han Özcan talked about the appeal process on Friday as well and said: "There is no reason for many invalid votes. Our votes have increased by 1,807 in the recount of votes," adding that they applied to the provincial election council for the reassessment of all votes in Ankara. According to unofficial results before the recount, Yavaş was leading with 50.91 percent of the vote, with Özhaseki at 47.15 percent.