Opposition urges Erdogan's cooperation over Istanbul vote

ANKARA, Turkey – The opposition's candidate for mayor of Istanbul is urging Turkey's electoral body to confirm his narrow victory in local elections and is asking President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to act to prevent the country from sliding into uncertainty.

Preliminary results show Erdogan's ruling party lost its decades-old stronghold of Ankara in Sunday's vote and in the tight race for Istanbul.

Opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu spoke Wednesday, a day after Erdogan's party appealed the results in all of Istanbul's 39 districts, claiming the vote was "stained." The Supreme Electoral Board ruled in favor of a recount in eight of the districts.

Imamoglu called on Erdogan and his nationalist ally to stop a slip into "worrisome atmospheres" and to work with him to improve the economy and ensure a return to "normality."