Turkey's Erdogan votes in Istanbul mayoral rerun

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan votes in a closely watched repeat election for the next mayor of Istanbul, a contest that could have a political impact on his national government.

Erdogan casts his ballot at a suburban school, then is greeted by hundreds of supporters. He says, “I believe the thinking voter will make the best decision for Istanbul.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan leaves the polling booth after casting his ballot for local elections in Istanbul, on June 23, 2019. (Adem ALTAN / AFP)

Today’s vote is being re-run after opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu won the Istanbul mayoral race in March. The result was canceled by Turkey’s main election board, citing procedural irregularities, after the ruling party protested.

The two main candidates on the Istanbul ballot, Imamoglu and government-backed Binali Yildirim, also voted.

— AP