Turkey’s Supreme Election Board (YSK) on Monday canceled the results of İstanbul’s mayoral election held on March 31, won by an opposition candidate, and announced that a new election would be held on June 23, according to the Turkish media.
The board’s decision, which was based on the assignment of polling station officials who were not public servants as stipulated by law, came after a number of objections filed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
There is no way to appeal the final ruling.
The opposition criticized the ruling for only canceling the election for metropolitan mayor instead of also annulling the district elections since the same officials were in charge in the polling stations.
The YSK also canceled the mandate given to the opposition’s Ekrem İmamoğlu, who will have to step down immediately, with Turkey’s largest city governed by a city council member appointed by the Interior Ministry in the interim.
İmamoğlu, meanwhile, said he would make an announcement after the YSK’s official ruling came out.
The ruling party and opposition parties held executive meetings after the YSK decision.