ISTANBUL — Turkey’s opposition has begun restaging an electoral battle for control of Istanbul after its candidate’s historic victory as Istanbul mayor was voided, and the ruling party has started a public relations push to explain the contentious nullification, which has hit the country's financial markets.
The Supreme Electoral Council on Monday stunned the country when it scrapped the result of the March 31 mayoral election and stripped the winner, Ekrem Imamoglu, of his mandate to lead Istanbul. The council cited irregularities in the appointment of some polling station officials in its extraordinary decision — the first time an election in a major Turkish city has been overturned.