CHP candidate Yavaş applies to Constitutional Court for re-election in Ankara

ANKARA

The main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Ankara candidate Mansur Yavaş has applied to the Constitutional Court on April 22 for a re-run of the elections. AA Photo

The main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) Ankara candidate Mansur Yavaş has applied to the Constitutional Court to order a re-run of the contested mayoral race in the capital.

The CHP says last month’s knife-edge vote in Ankara was marred by fraud, including problems with vote counting, despite that fact that the High Election Board (YSK) has already rejected these charges. The YSK ruled that the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) incumbent candidate, Melih Gökçek, had won the election, meaning that he was starting a fifth term as the city’s metropolitan mayor.

However, Yavaş announced via Twitter on April 21 that he had taken the battle to the Constitutional Court.

“Today, by using my individual right, I have appealed to the Constitutional Court. From now on, it’s up to the Constitutional Court to accurately reflect the will of Ankara residents,” he tweeted.

Yesterday, a CHP adviser stated that Yavaş would take his fight to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

Yavaş’s statement came after the YSK canceled another mayoral vote on April 21, in the northwestern city of Yalova, where the CHP was announced the victor over the AKP after a vote recount. A re-run in Yalova will take place on June 1, local media reported.

Another election re-run decision had earlier been taken in the eastern province of Ağrı, where the AKP lost out to the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) candidate after several vote recounts.