Turkish election board approves recount in 8 Istanbul districts after opposition declared victory

Turkey’s High Election Board (YSK) has ruled in favor of a recount in eight of Istanbul’s 39 districts. An initial count earlier showed the main opposition candidate earned a narrow victory in the city’s local election. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party submitted objections to election results in all districts of Turkey’s commercial hub Istanbul and capital Ankara as initial results showed it was on course to lose control of both cities. The election setback may complicate Erdogan’s efforts to combat the economy’s slide into recession. The YSK head said on Wednesday that the recount of what had been ruled as invalid votes should go ahead in the eight Istanbul districts, including some strongholds of the AK Party, Reuters reports.