COUNT EVERY VOTE, THE GOOD ONES TWICE: Turkey’s ruling party seeks vote recount after setback for Erdogan.

In the March 31 local elections, the opposition not only prevailed in a tight race in Istanbul, a city of 15 million residents that is Turkey’s financial and cultural center, but took control of Ankara, the capital. Erdogan’s party, which had held both cities for decades, contested the results, claiming the elections were “tainted.”

The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, won the right for a recount of votes that were previously deemed invalid. But on Sunday, Ali Ihsan Yavuz, a deputy chairman, said the party would appeal to the country’s top election authority for a total recount of votes in 38 districts in Istanbul, not just of ballots that were canceled.

The party made the move after the opposition candidate’s lead narrowed to 16,380 votes after some 80% of the invalidated ballots were reassessed in the partial recount.

The opposition Republican People’s Party maintains that it looks increasingly unlikely that the invalidated ballots will swing the result in Istanbul in favor of the ruling party.

Ekrem Imamoglu, the opposition party candidate, urged the AKP to concede.

Erdogan would be wise to tread carefully on the election results from Turkey’s two most important cities, but do you really expect him to be?