Iran Welcomes Turkey’s Successful Elections
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry congratulated Turkey on successful handling of the local elections, saying the peaceful polls illustrate the rule of democracy in neighboring Turkey.
In a statement on Monday, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi congratulated Turkey’s government, nation and political parties on successful holding of local and municipal elections.
“The peaceful holding of elections and the high turnout of Turkish citizens was another proof of rule of democracy in the friendly and brotherly country, Turkey,” he added.
Qassemi also wished further welfare, success and development for Turkey in light of the elections, underscoring that democracy in the regional states would guarantee the region’s independence, security and stability.
Turkey held local and mayoral elections across the country on Sunday.
More than 57 million eligible voters could vote at some 200,000 ballot boxes across Turkey to elect the mayors for 30 large metropolitan cities, 51 provincial capitals and 922 districts. They also voted to elect local assembly representatives as well as tens of thousands of neighborhood or village administrators.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, or AKP, took 44 percent of the votes in the elections after 99 percent of the more than 194,000 ballot boxes were counted, according to the official Anadolu Agency. The secular, main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP had 30 percent.
The last local elections were held in 2014 and since then Turkey has held five other votes.
