AKP’s Ankara mayoral candidate sets target of garnering 73 percent of votes
Turkey’s ruling AKP’s Ankara mayoral candidate and Keçiören Mayor Turgut Altınok argued that 73 percent of Ankara citizens could vote for him in the municipal elections according to the surveys.
Duvar English
Turgut Altınok, Ankara mayoral candidate from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), on Jan. 21 argued that he could receive 73 percent of the votes in the upcoming local elections.
Speaking during a campaign speech in Yenimahalle district, Keçiören district Mayor Altınok said “The rate of those who say they can vote for Altınok is 73 percent” in the surveys conducted by the AKP.
“This shows that if we can reach those people, we can get 73 percent of the votes in Ankara, no matter which party they vote for,” he added.
Altınok is running against Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), in the municipal election to be held on March 31, 2024.
Altınok assumed Ankara's Keçiören district mayorship between 1994 and 2009. He has been once again elected as Keçiören Mayor in 2019.
Yavaş received 50.93 percent of the votes in the 2019 election, followed by AKP’s Mehmet Özhaseki who received 47.13 percent. Opposition Good (İYİ) Party and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) did not field mayoral candidates in that election, paving the way for Yavaş’s victory.
Both parties have been planning to field candidates in this election, but have not named anyone yet.