Tensions Rising: Turkish President Accuses U.S. Of Meddling in Elections

On Friday, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States and the European Union of “meddling” in his country’s local elections.

Erdogan told reporters, “America and Europe are… meddling in Turkey’s internal affairs,” reported AFP, and that the U.S. and Europe should “know your place.”​ . . .

On Sunday, Erdogan’s party, the AKP, suffered a defeat in the mayoral race for Istanbul, the city in which Erdogan rose to power in as mayor. The AKP also lost control of Ankara, the capital city which has been held by the party for decades. Since the defeat, the AKP has contested the results in both cities, and a recount is currently taking place in districts of Istanbul, The Washington Post reported.

The results showed the mayoral candidate of the opposition CHP, Ekrem Imamoglu, ahead by about 25,000 votes in Istanbul, a city which has a population of about 15 million. But on Thursday, Ali Ihsan Yavuz, a deputy chairman of the AKP, reportedly said the recount had narrowed Yildrim’s lead to around 19,000. On Thursday, AKP secretary general Farih Sahin said the party would petition to Akara’s provincial election board for a recount in Akara as well.

In a Tuesday briefing, U.S. Department of State spokesman Robert Palladino reportedly commented on the results. “Free and fair elections are essential for any democracy,” Palladino said. “And this means acceptance of legitimate election results are essential.” (Read more from “Tensions Rising: Turkish President Accuses U.S. Of Meddling in Elections” HERE)

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