Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu

Turkey’s main opposition candidate was declared Istanbul’s mayor on Wednesday after election recounts were finally completed.

New mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was handed a paper which formally granted his mandate as city mayor in a ceremony at an Istanbul court, Reuters reported. 
Metropolitan Mayor of İstanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu has addressed the İstanbulites: “We won’t treat people differently based on their ethnic backgrounds, races or sects. We are bringing peace and love to this beautiful city. 
Metropolitan Mayor of İstanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu has said, “We will not treat people differently based on their ethnic backgrounds, races or religious sects. I am saluting the Muslims, Sunnis, Alevis, Christians of this city, I am saluting everyone.”

However, an appeal by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party (AKP) for the election to be re-run is still pending. Initial results from the March 31 local elections gave a narrow victory to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Turkey’s commercial hub, ending 25 years of control by the AKP and its Islamist predecessors.