VZCZCXRO1115
RR RUEHDA
DE RUEHDA #0019 0970524
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 070524Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL ADANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4722
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1264
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1062
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1327

UNCLAS ADANA 000019 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV TU
SUBJECT: TURKEY:  SLIM VICTORY FOR INCUMBENT ADANA MAYOR STILL HOTLY 
CONTESTED BY AKP AND CHP 
 
REF: ADANA 0015 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY.  Initial election results from Adana's 
mayoral race showed incumbent Mayor Aytac Durak, who switched to 
the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) after the ruling Justice 
and Development Party (AKP) declined to renominate him, had 
edged out his primary AKP rival by fewer than 1,500 votes.  A 
close runner up from the Republican People's Party (CHP) trailed 
by only a few thousand votes himself.  Despite rampant rumors of 
fraud and ballot tampering, the city remains calm with only a 
handful of peaceful protest marches.  Durak's victory remains 
hotly contested, however, as rival-party lawyers navigate 
complex legal procedures to push for a recount.  Notwithstanding 
the present turmoil, contacts believe Durak will likely receive 
his formal commission by the end of the week.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Five days after the March 29 elections, Adana's 
recount was ongoing in at least seven of Adana's ten 
constituencies, and suspended in several others.  At issue is a 
labyrinthine and layered tabulation process that includes a 
group of people called Ballot Boards (BB), a second called the 
District Election Board (DEB), the Provincial Election Board 
(PEB) - all three of which fall under Ankara's Higher Board of 
Election (HBE).  At the time of vote counting, the BBs 
(comprised of representatives from various parties) create 
tabulations of the count as they place the ballots in a sack 
that is later sealed and secured.  After the BBs tabulate each 
ballot, the results are certified by the DEB and entered into a 
computer database.  Allegations of fraud are pointed primarily 
to inconsistencies between the BBs vote tally for the ballot 
sack, and what the DEB has recorded on the official tabulation 
sheet. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  AKP and CHP have filed complaint petitions with all 
Adana DEBs, demanding votes in all constituencies be recounted. 
They believe tally discrepancies will show fraud at either the 
BB or DEB level.  In districts where MHP was the winner, the 
party filed a petition with the PEB to suspend the recount; the 
PEB complied based on a procedural filing error by other 
parties.  AKP and CHP then filed an appeal to the HBE in Ankara 
to overturn the PEB's suspension that would seem to work in 
MHP's favor, resulting in another legal impasse.  Another issue 
of concern is the unprecedented number of annulled votes in this 
election - over 35,000.  (Votes are annulled if voters stamp 
over two party symbols, if the ink is illegible or between 
symbols, or if the ballot is torn or damaged.)  AKP supporters 
have alleged Durak's followers purposely double-stamped ballots 
to void their votes.  According to most contacts, the HBE will 
make a final ruling sometime this week, most likely cementing 
Durak's razor-thin victory. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Locals tell us they can't recall an election 
result with so slim a margin of victory and so hotly contested, 
not only in Adana but nationwide.  Rumors of rampant electoral 
fraud pulse through every shop, cafi and office around the city, 
with claims of ballots that were burned, purposely annulled, or 
discarded in city dumpsters.  Journalists tell us the truth has 
become so distorted by gossip and conflicting media accounts 
that not even the political parties themselves know what is 
happening.  Despite the legal mayhem, the city remains calm, 
save for a few thousand CHP supporters peacefully marching in 
protest.  As Durak has already been at Adana's municipal helm 
for over 20 years, city dwellers seem prepared to accept his 
fifth term with a quiet resignation.  END COMMENT. 
 
GREEN