Protesters cry foul in key Turkey elections

ANKARA: Turkey’s secular opposition on Tuesday rejected the results of Ankara and Istanbul mayoral elections claimed as victories by the Islamic-rooted party of Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, citing “irregularities.”
More than 1,000 people demonstrated outside the elections authority in the capital Ankara, where the incumbent mayor of Erdogan’s ruling party has declared victory with a wafer-thin margin of about one percent.
“Thief Tayyip!” the protesters chanted, while others yelled, “Ankara, don’t sleep. Stand up for your vote!“
Turkey’s two biggest cities were the top prizes in Sunday’s elections, in which Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) declared sweeping wins despite graft claims and earlier mass street protests.
The municipal polls were seen as a referendum on the 11-year-rule of Erdogan, who is popular for driving strong economic growth but has been accused of an increasingly authoritarian ruling style.
Claims of election fraud have circulated on social media.
“We have evidence of irregularities,” CHP lawmaker Aykan Erdemir claimed to AFP. “More than 1,000 volunteers have been working for over 48 hours to check data at party headquarters.”
Opposition candidate Mansur Yavas wrote on Twitter that a recount “will reveal the truth” — the message itself defying an official ban on the site, which has been used to leak corruption claims against Erdogan’s inner circle.
But Yavas also urged his Twitter followers to show “restraint” against “any kind of provocation.”