Erdogan: Election Results in Istanbul May Be Cancelled

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the results of the local government elections held in Istanbul may be annulled due to reported violations. The statement was made during a conversation with journalists on a plane returning from Russia.

The Turkish newspaper "Sabah" reports that Erdogan specifically stated: "If in Istanbul, where nearly 11 million voters reside, the difference in the number of votes is only 30,000, and due to complaints it has decreased to 13,000, then we must continue our struggle. We need to eliminate all doubts; this situation may even lead to the annulment of the elections."

Erdogan emphasized the necessity of respecting any decision made by Turkey's Central Election Commission.

He also mentioned that recounting votes in elections is a standard practice. Erdogan reminded that there were vote recounts during the previous presidential elections in Florida, USA.

It is worth noting that on March 31, local elections took place in Turkey, during which the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost the mayoral positions in Ankara and Istanbul for the first time since 2002.