Turkish local elections

Binali Yıldırım, Istanbul mayoral candidate for the Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), says he is amenable to a joint TV interview with the main opposition candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu.

The Istanbul provincial election board announced on May 27 the list of candidates who will run for the renewed June 23 elections.

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on May 23 introduced a bill in the parliament which will reduce the period of military service from 12 months to 6 months and make the paid military service permanent for those who can afford it.

A detailed ruling by the Supreme Election Council (YSK) on its justification for the cancellation of the March 31 Istanbul polls has revealed that the decision was politically-motivated and failed to prove that alleged irregularities had an impact on the election results, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has said.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has announced the formation of a new working group to campaign for Istanbul mayoral candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu ahead of do-over elections slated for June 23.

U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil exports do not serve peace in the region, a spokesman for Turkey's ruling AKP said on May 10.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has asked the Supreme Election Board (YSK) to cancel the 2018 presidential and parliamentary elections as well as elections for 39 Istanbul districts.

The Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) Presidency Council on May 6 praised the decision of the Supreme Election Council (YSK) to do over the Istanbul municipal elections on June 23.

The Turkish government has called on the international community to "respect" a decision made by the election watchdog to cancel the Istanbul polls lost by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), stressing it will "not accept politically-motivated criticisms," in a statement following a harsh statement by the European Union.

The decision to rerun local elections in Istanbul was not aimed at safeguarding any party's interests, the spokesperson for the ruling AKP said on May 6.