Republican's Party appeals to court on mayoral result

ANKARA — Turkey's opposition party's mayoral candidate for Ankara filed an individual appeal to the Constitutional Court on Monday over the mayoral poll results on March 30.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) mayoral candidate Mansur Yavaş filed a petition to Turkey's highest electoral authority, the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) on April 3, requesting that all votes in the Ankara mayoral elections be recounted and the results of the local mayoral elections in Ankara cancelled.

However, the YSK unanimously rejected the party's appeal in not only Ankara but all appeals by the CHP.

The Constitutional Court is the highest court in Turkey. Its decisions are final and cannot be amended.

Current mayor, Melih Gökçek, member of the AK Party, obtained 44.7 percent of the votes, closely followed by Mansur Yavaş at 43.81 percent. Gökçek won his fifth election victory in the March 30 local ballot, giving him another five years in office.

On April 10, Yavaş responded by calling on the YSK to resign, blaming it for alleged mistakes and irregularities made in counting votes in the March 30 local elections.

Turkey's opposition party's mayoral candidate for Ankara filed an individual appeal to the Constitutional Court on Monday over the mayoral poll results on March 30.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) mayoral candidate Mansur Yavaş filed a petition to Turkey's highest electoral authority, the Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) on April 3, requesting that all votes in the Ankara mayoral elections be recounted and the results of the local mayoral elections in Ankara cancelled.

However, the YSK unanimously rejected the party's appeal in not only Ankara but all appeals by the CHP.

The Constitutional Court is the highest court in Turkey. Its decisions are final and cannot be amended.

Current mayor, Melih Gökçek, member of the AK Party, obtained 44.7 percent of the votes, closely followed by Mansur Yavaş at 43.81 percent. Gökçek won his fifth election victory in the March 30 local ballot, giving him another five years in office.

On April 10, Yavas responded by calling on the YSK to resign, blaming it for alleged mistakes and irregularities made in counting votes in the March 30 local elections.