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Turkish local elections: AKP set for victory | World news | theguardian.com
Turkey's embattled prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeared to fight off serial allegations of sleaze on Sunday night when his governing Justice and Development party (AKP) gained a substantial victory in nationwide local elections seen as a barometer of the prime minister's popularity.
Inconclusive projections and partial ballot returns showed the AKP likely to hold Istanbul and reach its declared goal of more than 40% of overall votes.
Speaking at a victory rally in Ankara, Erdogan signalled a crackdown on opponents, especially the network of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, his former ally: "There will not be a state within the state. We will root them out," he told the crowd.
He said it was time for a "new Turkey", and added: "Seventy-seven million should know that the new Turkey has won today. Today is a day of victory."
Confusion reigned during the counting of the votes, with hundreds of election-rigging allegations during the first hours after ballots closed. The AKP and the opposition CHP both jumped the gun to argue they had won the two main cities, increasing rather than easing the polarisation of recent months as Erdogan has opted for confrontation to fight off damaging allegations of sleaze and authoritarianism.
After his CHP rival, Mansur Yavas, declared victory in a press conference, Ankara incumbent Melih Gökcek followed suit, accusing his opponents of "manipulations" and promising supporters a "historic victory." Similar statements were later made for Turkey's biggest metropolis and economic centre, Istanbul, with AKP and CHP officials slamming local news agencies for "deliberate manipulations".
Trust in election results was at an all-time low as the state-run Anatolian news agency and the privately owned Cihan service published different numbers.
With about half of votes counted, results cited on Turkish television put Erdogan's Islamist-rooted party ahead with 44-46%, and the main opposition CHP on 23-28%. If that result is borne out, Erdogan may claim at least for now to have ridden out the biggest challenge to his 12-year rule.
He said the results would reaffirm his legitimacy after a turbulent election campaign that has seen his government tighten its grip on the courts, purge thousands of police, and block access to Twitter and YouTube as it tried to stem a flow of corruption allegations.
"Once the ballot boxes are opened, the rest is only footnotes to history," Erdogan said as he voted in Istanbul. "Today it is what the people say which matters rather than what was said in the city squares."
The races were close in the two biggest cities, Istanbul and Ankara, but the ruling party appeared to have the edge, with AKP supporters honking car horns in celebration in the capital. Two buses of riot police stood ready in Istanbul's plush Nisantasi neighbourhood, one of several districts rocked by anti-government protests last summer.
The AKP had set itself a goal of exceeding its 2009 result of 38.8%, and Erdogan is likely to assert his authority even more strongly in a power struggle continuing after the polls. A strong showing would embolden Erdogan to run for the presidency in an August election. Some fear it could also feed authoritarian tendencies and herald a period of harsh reckoning with opponents in politics and state bodies.
More than 92% of the 52 million-plus people eligible to vote cast their ballots in the first popular test for Erdogan since last summer's large anti-government protests and allegations of massive corruption inside the Turkish government.
Erdogan has responded ferociously to sleaze allegations that implicate his close family and high government officials, and purged the police and the judiciary of thousands of critics.
Although not standing for election, Erdogan has campaigned tirelessly in support of AKP candidates.
Speaking at a rally in Istanbul on Saturday, he lashed out at his political opponents. "They are all traitors," he told a cheering crowd. "Go to the ballot box tomorrow and teach all of them a lesson. Let's give them an Ottoman slap."
......................
Takbeer!
Turkey's embattled prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, appeared to fight off serial allegations of sleaze on Sunday night when his governing Justice and Development party (AKP) gained a substantial victory in nationwide local elections seen as a barometer of the prime minister's popularity.
Inconclusive projections and partial ballot returns showed the AKP likely to hold Istanbul and reach its declared goal of more than 40% of overall votes.
Speaking at a victory rally in Ankara, Erdogan signalled a crackdown on opponents, especially the network of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, his former ally: "There will not be a state within the state. We will root them out," he told the crowd.
He said it was time for a "new Turkey", and added: "Seventy-seven million should know that the new Turkey has won today. Today is a day of victory."
Confusion reigned during the counting of the votes, with hundreds of election-rigging allegations during the first hours after ballots closed. The AKP and the opposition CHP both jumped the gun to argue they had won the two main cities, increasing rather than easing the polarisation of recent months as Erdogan has opted for confrontation to fight off damaging allegations of sleaze and authoritarianism.
After his CHP rival, Mansur Yavas, declared victory in a press conference, Ankara incumbent Melih Gökcek followed suit, accusing his opponents of "manipulations" and promising supporters a "historic victory." Similar statements were later made for Turkey's biggest metropolis and economic centre, Istanbul, with AKP and CHP officials slamming local news agencies for "deliberate manipulations".
Trust in election results was at an all-time low as the state-run Anatolian news agency and the privately owned Cihan service published different numbers.
With about half of votes counted, results cited on Turkish television put Erdogan's Islamist-rooted party ahead with 44-46%, and the main opposition CHP on 23-28%. If that result is borne out, Erdogan may claim at least for now to have ridden out the biggest challenge to his 12-year rule.
He said the results would reaffirm his legitimacy after a turbulent election campaign that has seen his government tighten its grip on the courts, purge thousands of police, and block access to Twitter and YouTube as it tried to stem a flow of corruption allegations.
"Once the ballot boxes are opened, the rest is only footnotes to history," Erdogan said as he voted in Istanbul. "Today it is what the people say which matters rather than what was said in the city squares."
The races were close in the two biggest cities, Istanbul and Ankara, but the ruling party appeared to have the edge, with AKP supporters honking car horns in celebration in the capital. Two buses of riot police stood ready in Istanbul's plush Nisantasi neighbourhood, one of several districts rocked by anti-government protests last summer.
The AKP had set itself a goal of exceeding its 2009 result of 38.8%, and Erdogan is likely to assert his authority even more strongly in a power struggle continuing after the polls. A strong showing would embolden Erdogan to run for the presidency in an August election. Some fear it could also feed authoritarian tendencies and herald a period of harsh reckoning with opponents in politics and state bodies.
More than 92% of the 52 million-plus people eligible to vote cast their ballots in the first popular test for Erdogan since last summer's large anti-government protests and allegations of massive corruption inside the Turkish government.
Erdogan has responded ferociously to sleaze allegations that implicate his close family and high government officials, and purged the police and the judiciary of thousands of critics.
Although not standing for election, Erdogan has campaigned tirelessly in support of AKP candidates.
Speaking at a rally in Istanbul on Saturday, he lashed out at his political opponents. "They are all traitors," he told a cheering crowd. "Go to the ballot box tomorrow and teach all of them a lesson. Let's give them an Ottoman slap."
......................
Takbeer!
