Turkey's HDP appeals for cancelation of Nov. 1 election results, citing 'unfair conditions'

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has appealed to Turkey's top election body to cancel the Nov. 1 snap election, arguing that the campaign did not take place in line with "free and equal voting" and the interim Justice and Development Party (AKP) government led by Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu had an unfair advantage.

The HDP petitioned the Supreme Election Board (YSK) on Nov. 15 and the party's Adana deputy, Meral Dan?? Be?ta?, announced its appeal on Nov. 16, a day before members of the newly elected parliament were set to take oath. 

Dubbing the Nov. 1 elections "illegitimate," Be?ta? recalled at a press conference in parliament that the HDP lost one seat in Mersin province by 30 votes and one seat in Tunceli by 168 votes. She also referred to the controversial role played by President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, apparently campaigning in favor of the AKP despite his constitutional neutrality.

In it its petition filed to the YSK, the HDP stated: "There is no doubt that every local election, general election and by-election should take place between political parties and independent candidates. However, during the 26th Legislative Term Deputy General Elections held on Nov. 1, 2015, a series of actions and operations against this principle took place. A campaign against our party was conducted through the hands of the president and the interim government, which were not been a party in the elections; public resources were unlimitedly used to this aim; press organs were placed under a disciplinary order in a way that could only be seen before during coup eras; voters were scared and terrorized and prevented from going to vote; and through hundreds of attacks against our party buildings, our party was put in a situation where it could not hold...