Democracy in Turkey once again displayed its powerful characteristics, said the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chair Devlet Bahçeli while evaluating the results of the Istanbul mayoral elections rerun.

Speaking at his party's group meeting at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) yesterday, Bahçeli said the People's Alliance left its mark on the March 31 elections with a very successful performance, "Even though it [the People's Alliance] was in people's hearts on June 23, politics built on exploitation and lies have come to the forefront." Reminding that the national will appeared in Istanbul rerun mayoral elections, Bahçeli said they respect the result and wished his best to the country, nation and Istanbul.

Thanking his party organization in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Bahçeli said: "Turkish democracy once again proved its powerful characteristics. Polls were protected from doubts, unethical and illegal interventions and vote thieves."

He added that speculations about one-man rule were debunked and those who say "there is no democracy in Turkey" must take a lesson from both March 31 and June 23 elections.

"We think that Istanbul was not commended to the competent one. It is very possible that we will see its results in the following years. I want to underline that we will closely follow Istanbul's new mayor's activities and take necessary notes," Bahçeli said. In the rerun of the Istanbul mayoral elections Sunday, People's Alliance candidate Binali Yıldırım received 45 percent of the votes, while his rival, Nation Alliance candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, received 54 percent.

The People's Alliance between the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the AK Party was formed ahead of the June 24 parliamentary and presidential elections. The alliance won a majority in Parliament, while their presidential candidate, Erdoğan, also won the election by receiving 52.6 percent of the votes.

Since both parties considered the results of the June 24 elections successful, they continued their alliance in the local elections as well.