GOOD MORNING--TURKEY PRESS SCAN ON MAR 30

HURRIYET
--BALLOT BOX WARNING
Turkish electors gave their message at the ballot booths. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost three points when compared to 2004 local elections and eight points over 2007 parliamentary elections. Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) succeeded to gaining six cities (Balikesir, Manisa, Usak, Isparta, Adana and Osmaniye) from AKP. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) won elections in Antalya, Tekirdag, Aydin, Giresun and Zonguldak. The Democratic Society Party (DTP) led in Van and Siirt in eastern Turkey.

 

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's target was 42 percent for the municipal elections and 47 percent for overall votes. However, AKP support fell below Erdogan's target. A somber mood dominated at the AKP HQs after the results.

 

--THE RISE OF GANDHI
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) candidate for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, increased his party's votes to a record-high in Istanbul. CHP had won 28.42 percent of votes for Sefa Sirmen in Istanbul in the 2004 local elections. But this year there was a ballot boom for CHP in Istanbul. According to unofficial results, Kilicdaroglu secured 38.3 percent of votes.

 

MILLIYET
--VOTERS' HEADLINE
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan earlier said that voters would write the headlines after the local elections. Votes of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) dropped from 47 percent in the general elections 1-1/2 years ago to 40 percent. Prime Minister Erdogan said that he was not satisfied with the results, signally a cabinet shuffles was likely.

 

--BREATHTAKING COMPETITION IN ISTANBUL
In the beginning, there was just a 2 points difference between Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and Kadir Topbas of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the race for mayor of Istanbul. When number of opened boxes increased, the difference rose to 6 points in favor of Topbas. In the end, Topbas was elected mayor of Istanbul for the second term.

 

SABAH
--CRISIS EFFECT
Due to votes lost in western provinces where the effects of the global crisis have been felt most, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) gained just 39 percent of the votes, the Republican People's Party (CHP) took back Antalya and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) increased its votes by 6 percent. Participation in the local elections was high and there were long queues at most polling stations. AKP's vote rate declined by 3 percent which is widely believed to have been due to the economic crisis.

 

According to the results of the provincial general assembly elections, CHP received 22.8 percent of the overall votes and took back municipalities in Antalya and Tekirdag. MHP made a surprise jump increasing its votes to 16.2 percent. The Democratic Society Party (DTP) secured 5.3 percent of the votes, while the Felicity Party (SP) gained 5.4 percent.

 

--CUT THROAT RACE IN ISTANBUL
It was a cut throat race between AKP's candidate Kadir Topbas and CHP's candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Istanbul. Topbas who led the race just a few points ahead, gained on his opponent increasing his lead to five points at time of publication. Topbas received 43.92 of the votes while Kilicdaroglu secured 38.1 percent with 87 percent of the ballot boxes opened.

 

VATAN
--VOTERS' WARNING TO AKP
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has lost votes for the first time since it came to political power in the general elections on Nov. 3, 2002. Its votes fell 8 points to 39.3 percent when compared to results of the general elections in 2007. The number of municipalities ruled by the AKP decreased from 58 to 43. The AKP also lost the metropolitan municipalities of the southern provinces of Antalya and Adana.

 

--GOKCEK WINS
There was a breathtaking competition in capital Ankara among Melih Gokcek of the Justice and Development (AK) Party, Murat Karayalcin of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and Mansur Yavas of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). When Gokcek won the election by getting 38 percent of votes, supporters of the CHP objected to the result. They claimed that their votes in some districts were not included in database of the Higher Board of Election (YSK) due to power cuts.

 

CUMHURIYET
--WARNING MESSAGE EMERGES FROM BALLOT BOX
Support to AKP, which received 47 percent of the votes in 2007, started to decline due to its failure in the economy, corruption allegations and its aggressive policies. According to results of the Provincial General Assembly election, which is seen as data indicative of the general elections, the Republican People's Party (CHP) increased its votes to 22.8 percent from 20 percent. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) raised its votes to 16 percent from 14 percent, and the Felicity Party (SP) raised its votes to 5.3 percent from 2.34 percent. The Democratic Society Party (DTP) maintained its rate of votes.

 

--ELECTION OVERSHADOWED
A breakdown in the computer system of the Higher Board of Elections (YSK) and electricity cuts during the close election race in Istanbul in Ankara drew reaction from the opposition. The timing of the system failure which came on the heels of news suggesting that CHP's candidates had taken the lead, was compromising. "According to the data at hand, we are leading by two points. We are making a call to YSK and asking it to do its duty. If they do not address our concerns, we will challenge the results," said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, CHP's Istanbul candidate.

 

Murat Karayalcin, CHP's Ankara candidate, said the results from districts of Cankaya and Yanimahalle were not uploaded to YSK's system and pointed out that electricity cuts caused serious problems. MHP's candidate Mansur Yavas asked his supporters to look out for the ballot boxes. Yavas said an AKP official in Yenimahalle was caught messing with the computers, and certain individuals tried to steal a ballot box in the District Election Board.

 

RADIKAL
--PEOPLE SAY "ONE MINUTE"
Unofficial results of overall votes in Turkey at 3 a.m. were 39.1 for the ruling Justice & Development Party (AKP), 23.2 percent for the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and 16.1 percent for the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). In Istanbul, Kemal Kilicdaroglu succeeded in bring CHP's votes to 38 percent from 28 percent, however, the AKP's Kadir Topbas won 41 percent of votes.

 

But in Ankara, AKP's Melih Gokcek, who got 55 percent in the 2004 elections, won the race with 39 percent of vote. His rivals CHP's Murat Karayalcin gained 28.8 percent, and MHP's Mansur Yavas received 33 percent.

 

--ERDOGAN: WE WILL TAKE LESSONS
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said he was sorry to lose the elections in the eastern cities of Van and Siirt, and also in the southern city of Antalya and western cities of Manisa and Balikesir. Erdogan said, "We will take our lessons" and he implied a cabinet reshuffle.

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"We went below our targets, nevertheless, our votes are more than the sum of CHP and MHP," Erdogan said. "We got our message from the election. We will take our lessons and we will continue on our way."

 

YENI SAFAK
--SURPRISE IN ANTALYA
The victory of the Republican People's Party (CHP) in Aydin was seen as a surprise. The most interesting result of the elections came from Antalya, where Mustafa Akaydın, candidate of CHP won 40.76 percent of the votes. Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate Menderes Turel received only 35.08 of the vote.

 

--CONFIDENCE VOTE DESPITE CRISIS
The Justice and Development Party (AKP), which maintained its votes for the most part despite the economic crisis, held onto municipalities. The AKP received more votes than the sum of votes received by the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). According to Provincial General Assembly results, the AKP won 40.2 percent of the votes. The AKP, which held 541 of the municipalities before the election, managed to hold on to 500 of these municipalities, despite the wearing effect of being in power.