ANKARA: Turkiye’s main opposition party said on Wednesday it had filed complaints over suspected irregularities at thousands of ballot boxes in Sunday’s landmark elections, in which President Tayyip Erdogan performed better than expected.
However, opposition party officials said the objections were unlikely to alter the result of the presidential vote, which is headed to a runoff on May 28 between Erdogan and challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
Muharrem Erkek, a deputy chairman of the secularist Republican People’s Party (CHP), said irregularities at each ballot box ranged from one single wrongly counted vote to hundreds of such votes.
He said the CHP had formally raised objections over 2,269 ballot boxes nationwide for the presidential election and 4,825 for the parliamentary vote that also took place on Sunday, though they represent a tiny proportion of the total number.
“We are following every single vote, even if it does not change the overall results,” Erkek told reporters in Ankara.
Erdogan’s ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party and its nationalist allies won a strong parliamentary majority, while in the presidential vote, Erdogan fell just shy of the 50 percent threshold needed to win outright.
Kilicdaroglu, the CHP chair, received 44.9 percent in what was seen as the biggest electoral challenge to Erdogan’s 20-year rule. A third candidate, Sinan Ogan obtained 5.17 percent.
Erdogan, now in pole position, says only he can ensure stability in Turkiye, a NATO member state, as it grapples with a cost-of-living crisis, soaring inflation and the impact of devastating earthquakes in February.
The opposition alliance that includes the CHP has urged young voters to turn out to support Kilicdaroglu in the runoff.
Mehmet Emin Ekmen, a deputy chairman of DEVA, one of six parties in the opposition alliance, told Reuters: “We do not have strong evidence to say irregularities can change the presidential race results or get another opposition candidate elected to the parliament.”
“Since Erdogan officially started his election campaign yesterday, I believe the opposition alliance should also channel its energy into the runoff,” he said. (Additional reporting by Ali Kucukgocmen in Ankara; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Gareth Jones)
Turkiye opposition contests thousands of ballots after election
https://arab.news/nmpgn
Turkiye opposition contests thousands of ballots after election
- Opposition says irregularities not sufficient to alter overall results
- Ally says opposition should focus on campaigning for runoff
UAE affirms respect for Saudi sovereignty, rejects threats to regional security
- Abu Dhabi emphasized its commitment to maintaining close coordination with Riyadh on all matters of mutual concern
DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security and sovereignty on Tuesday, rejecting any actions that could threaten the Kingdom or undermine regional stability.
In a statement issued in response to recent remarks by Saudi Arabia regarding developments in Yemen, the UAE stressed that it fully respects Saudi Arabia’s national security and considers the fraternal and historical ties between the two countries a cornerstone of regional stability.
Abu Dhabi emphasized its commitment to maintaining close coordination with Riyadh on all matters of mutual concern.
The UAE said its position since the start of events in Yemen’s eastern governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra has been focused on containing tensions, supporting de-escalation, and working toward understandings that preserve security, stability, and the protection of civilians, in coordination with Saudi Arabia.
Abu Dhabi categorically rejected any attempt to implicate it in tensions between Yemeni factions, condemning allegations that it pressured or directed any party to carry out military operations that threaten Saudi Arabia’s security or target its borders.
The UAE also called for recent developments in eastern Yemen to be handled responsibly to prevent escalation, urging reliance on verified facts and coordination among all relevant parties to safeguard shared interests and maintain regional security and stability.
