Rerun elections yield new results in four constituencies

ANKARA

In a rerun of local elections held on June 2, four out of seven constituencies saw different results compared to the initial elections on March 31.

The decision for a rerun in three districts and four towns was made following objections and irregularities that affected the initial results.

Ballot boxes were set up again in Aksaray's Güzelyurt, Kayseri's Pınarbaşı and Şanlıurfa's Hilvan districts, as well as in Sivas' Güneykaya, Tunceli's Akpazar, Kırklareli's Büyükkarıştıran and Aksaray's Sağlık towns.

In the Güzelyurt district, the only one among the districts to change hands, ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate Ünal Demircioğlu triumphed in the second election. This was a reversal from the initial results, where İYİ (Good) Party candidate Hazim Turan had narrowly won by just one vote.

The AKP had objected to the initial results, citing the participation of "ineligible voters."

However, the election outcomes in the other two districts remained unchanged. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) candidate, Deniz Yağan, retained victory in Kayseri's Pınarbaşı, defeating the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) candidate.

The rerun was ordered after MHP lodged an objection, prompting the Supreme Election Council (YSK) to mandate a new vote.

In Şanlıurfa's Hilvan, the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) candidate Serhan Paydaş once again won the mayoral race against the AKP candidate.

The Hilvan elections were contentious, following reports of ballot papers being burned, which led to the arrest of seven individuals, including an AKP election board member.

The YSK accepted the AKP's objection that "there were doubts in the ballot box minutes."

Municipal governments shifted in three of the four towns where elections were renewed. In Sivas' Güneykaya, where the ruling alliance partner Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) previously held sway, the AKP candidate emerged victorious.

The top election authority decided to renew the elections in Güneykaya on the grounds that "the result reports in the election bags were not prepared."

Similarly, in Tunceli's Akpazar, the AKP overtook the CHP. The former had objected to the original results, claiming that some voters were not given mayoral ballots by officials.

In Kırklareli's Büyükkarıştıran, the CHP candidate won by a narrow margin of three votes over the Democratic Left Party's (DSP) candidate, the previous winner.

Meanwhile, in Aksaray's Sağlık town, MHP's Aptullah Tosun retained his position. The AKP had requested the reelections in this town as well.

All political parties that participated in the March 31 elections took part in the rerun.

The renewal decision also included elections for some municipal council memberships and local head positions that had become vacant due to death or certificate cancellations. As a result, the number of locations with ballot boxes across Türkiye reached 200, reports said.