Turkish Opposition Accuses Erdogan of Dictatorship after Istanbul Elections Annulled

Turkey’s main opposition, the Republican People’s Party, has accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of dictatorship after Turkey's election authorities on Monday annulled the Istanbul municipal vote more than a month after an opposition candidate was elected as the city's mayor.

The country's Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) announced that the election would be re-run on June 23, sparking public outcry and criticism.

Turkey’s main opposition, the CHP, the candidate of which Ekrem İmamoğlu was officially declared Istanbul's mayor by the city's election authorities in mid-April, claims “this is plain dictatorship."

The ruling AKP had appealed to the board in April to annul the result in Istanbul and hold a re-vote, claiming "organized irregularities."

AKP and its predecessor have consistently won in Istanbul's local elections since the 1990s when Erdogan launched his political career there as mayor.

By Thea Morrison

Photo source: CNN