Opposition says 'injustice' will galvanize Istanbul voters

Istanbul's mayoral candidate Ekrem Imamoglu, candidate of the secular opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, accompanied by his wife, name not given, arrives for a televised debate with Binali Yildirim, of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, ahead of the June 23 re-run of Istanbul elections, Sunday, June 16, 2019. Televised election debates are uncommon in Turkey. The last one, between AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the then-leader of the CHP, took place before a 2002. The AKP has been in power since. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

ISTANBUL – The opposition candidate for mayor of Istanbul says he believes "the injustice" caused by the cancellation of his win in March will galvanize voters in his favor in Sunday's rerun election.

In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Ekrem Imamoglu also said a second victory for him would amount to a win for "democracy."

Imamoglu won Turkey's March 31 local election with a slim victory in what was a major blow to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey's electoral authority, however, ruling in Erdogan's favor, annulled the result and ordered the new election, citing irregularities.

Imamoglu said: "I believe the people will give the necessary response to this injustice at the polls."

The politician said his camp was working to prevent another annulment in the event of a second victory.