ISTANBUL, May 12 (NNN-BERNAMA-dpa) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday rejected international criticism of a controversial decision to re-run a contested Istanbul municipal vote.
“God willing, our people will not bow to these threats, this language of pressure,” Erdogan said in a televised address at an iftar meal in Istanbul.
“Those who have attempted to topple the elected Venezuelan head of state cannot talk to us about democracy,” he added.
On Monday, Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) ordered a re-run of the Istanbul election, which the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) won, on June 23.
The YSK cited alleged irregularities that were claimed by Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The CHP and other opposition parties accused Erdogan of political interference in the electoral body.
The decision was criticized by Turkey’s Western partners, including the US.
Washington on Wednesday urged Ankara to conduct the Istanbul vote in line with its international commitments, calling for “free and fair elections.”
The loss of Turkey’s economic powerhouse Istanbul would be a major setback for Erdogan. For the first time in 25 years, Islamic conservatives lost control of the capital Ankara and Istanbul in polls on March 31.