AKP's objection leads to revote in Ardahan

ARDAHAN

A regional election authority in the northeastern city of Ardahan has decided to annul the recent elections in the city and call for a renewal following objections from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The previous mayor in Ardahan, Faruk Demir, who was renominated by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), emerged victorious in the elections held on March 31. However, the AKP contested the results, citing irregularities in the vote-counting process.

Demir secured 5,049 votes, narrowly edging out AKP candidate Yunus Baydar who garnered 4,875 votes. The AKP's provincial presidency lodged an objection with the Supreme Electoral Council's (YSK) district board, demanding a recount of all ballot boxes and the annulment of the election.

After reviewing the petitions, the regional authority decided by a majority vote to order a rerun of the elections.

Baydar alleged irregularities in the vote-counting process, asserting that even a single mistake in a ballot box could alter the outcome, given the narrow margin of 174 votes.

The CHP has appealed to the decision, with a move expected to be made by the provincial body.

The development comes in the wake of the recent controversy surrounding the revocation of Abdullah Zeydan's mayoral mandate in the eastern city of Van, which was later reinstated by the top election authority. Zeydan, a politician from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), was temporarily replaced by an AKP candidate following a court ruling citing prior imprisonment.

In other election-related incidents, CHP candidate Hakan Bahçetepe emerged victorious in Istanbul's Gaziosmanpaşa district again after a recount was ordered upon the objection of AKP candidate Hasan Tahsin Usta.

Meanwhile, in Hatay, where the AKP recently wrestled control of the metropolitan municipality from the CHP, allegations of theft and tampering with documents have surfaced. The AKP has filed a criminal complaint, claiming that crucial evidence of previous irregularities in the municipal compound has been obscured.

Mehmet Öntürk, the AKP candidate who won the mayoral election in Hatay, is yet to receive his certificate of registration as objections from the CHP continue to delay the process.

In addition, the YSK rejected objections to the decisions regarding the recount of votes in the elections of CHP in Isparta's Aksu district and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in Çorum's Uğurludağ district.