World
Turkey opposition seeks to repeat win in Istanbul redo vote
By DEREK GATOPOULOS Associated Press
June 22, 2019 02:59 PM
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In this Wednesday, June 19, 2019 photo, Ekrem Imamoglu, candidate of the secular opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, waves to supporters as he speaks at a rally in Istanbul, ahead of the June 23 re-run of Istanbul elections. Voters in Istanbul return to the polls on Sunday for a rerun of the election for the mayor of the city.
Lefteris Pitarakis
AP Photo
ISTANBUL
The Istanbul mayoral candidates have led their final campaign rallies heading into Sunday’s repeat election.
The city election held March 31 saw opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu narrowly defeat former Prime Minister Benali Yildirim, the candidate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party.
The governing party challenged the results and Turkey’s election commission voided the vote after Imamoglu had already taken office.
Yildirim has promised to modernize the city’s infrastructure and transport systems. Imamoglu focused on urban poverty.
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Some analysts say a second defeat in Istanbul would be a blow to Ergodan, who started his political rise as the city’s mayor