Vote count continues as margin remains tight in Türkiye's local elections

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - As the vote count in Türkiye’s local elections nears its end, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has a close lead over the governing Justice and Development (AK) Party, according to unofficial results.

With over 90% of the ballot boxes opened across the country, the CHP leads with 37.32% of votes, followed by AK Party with 35.78%.

Candidates from a total of 34 political parties competed in the elections, with over 206,000 polling stations set up across the country.

Voters in Türkiye's larger cities cast their votes for metropolitan municipality mayor, municipality mayor, city council members, as well as mukhtars and elder councils. Those cities include the capital Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir — the nation’s three largest cities by population — as well as Adana, Antalya, Aydin, Balikesir, Bursa, Denizli, Diyarbakir, Erzurum, Eskisehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Konya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Ordu, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Tekirdag, Trabzon, and Van.

- Polls end in 'manner befitting our democracy’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Türkiye’s local elections concluded in a "manner befitting our democracy,” describing the democracy and national will as the “winner" of the polls.

"March 31, is not an end but a turning point for us. In the local government elections, the Turkish nation again used the ballot box as an opportunity to convey its messages to the politicians," Erdogan said in his address to the citizens.

"Regardless of the results, the winner of this election is primarily our democracy, the national will," he said. "All 85 million people, regardless of their political affiliation, won the election marathon and Türkiye was the winner before the candidates."

The president also stressed that his governing Justice and Development (AK) Party "did not get the result" it wanted and hoped for in the elections.

He added that there is "nothing greater than the power of nation’s will."

- 'No loser in this victory'

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said that the outcome of the elections will "not be a defeat for anyone."

"There is no loser in this victory. Our success is not a defeat for anyone, it will not be a defeat for anyone," Ozel said.

He encouraged all citizens to not feel like they were defeated no matter which party they voted for in the polls.

- Political parties

The major competing parties are the AK Party, CHP, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Good (IYI) Party, and the Peoples' Democratic Party (DEM Party).

Other political parties are the Left Party, Great Unity Party, Homeland Party, Motherland Party, Democratic Left Party, Welfare Party, Communist Party of Türkiye, Anatolian Union Party, Victory Party, Peoples' Liberation Party, Communist Movement of Türkiye, Independent Türkiye Party, Future Party, New Türkiye Party, Labor Party, Free Cause Party, Rights and Freedoms Party, Ocak Party, Justice Union Party, Democrat Party, Power Union Party, National Path Party, Justice Party, Bright Democracy Party, Türkiye Workers' Party, Democracy and Progress Party, Felicity Party, and Homeland Party.