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| Rural deaths mar Turkish election | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| At least five people have been killed more than 50 injured in mainly Kurdish areas of eastern Turkey, as the country voted in key local elections. | |
| The fatalities came as supporters of rival candidates for the non-party position of village chief fought armed battles in several locations. | |
| Votes are being counted in the polls, seen as a referendum on the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP). | |
| The AKP was put on trial last year and faced closure. | |
| It was charged with threatening Turkey's strictly secular system. | |
| Despite an economic downturn, the party - whose leaders are devout Muslims - has a clear lead in opinion polls. | Despite an economic downturn, the party - whose leaders are devout Muslims - has a clear lead in opinion polls. |
| With a strong mandate, the AKP will likely focus on democratic reform, and a loan agreement with the IMF which will entail restrictions on spending. | With a strong mandate, the AKP will likely focus on democratic reform, and a loan agreement with the IMF which will entail restrictions on spending. |
| Win assured | |
| The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul says that while this was a local election it felt like a national one, and almost every street is festooned with party flags and posters. | |
| The AKP wants to prove it is at least as popular now as in the national election in 2007 | The AKP wants to prove it is at least as popular now as in the national election in 2007 |
| Party leaders - especially the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan - have been touring the country for several weeks, staging mass political rallies. | Party leaders - especially the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan - have been touring the country for several weeks, staging mass political rallies. |
| No-one is in any doubt as to who will win the vote, but what is less clear is the size of its victory, our correspondent says. | |
| The AKP wants to prove it is at least as popular now as it was in the national election in 2007. | The AKP wants to prove it is at least as popular now as it was in the national election in 2007. |
| It was re-elected then with 47% of the vote, and then survived a trial aimed at closing it down as a threat to secularism. | It was re-elected then with 47% of the vote, and then survived a trial aimed at closing it down as a threat to secularism. |
| The shrinking economy and rising unemployment are bound to influence some voters. | The shrinking economy and rising unemployment are bound to influence some voters. |
| But Mr Erdogan is still the most popular politician here by far. | But Mr Erdogan is still the most popular politician here by far. |
| A strong win should allow the government to re-focus attention on democratic reforms. | A strong win should allow the government to re-focus attention on democratic reforms. |
| That is something it has been talking about for some time - but not delivered. | That is something it has been talking about for some time - but not delivered. |
| It is also expected to conclude talks with the International Monetary Fund for a multi-billion dollar loan to help Turkey weather the economic crisis. | It is also expected to conclude talks with the International Monetary Fund for a multi-billion dollar loan to help Turkey weather the economic crisis. |
| The government has been dragging its heels on that, reluctant to agree to tough IMF restrictions on spending before these elections. | The government has been dragging its heels on that, reluctant to agree to tough IMF restrictions on spending before these elections. |