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Rural deaths mar Turkish election Turkish PM's party leads in poll
(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. Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party is leading in key local elections with around half the votes counted after six people died in regional violence.
The fatalities came as supporters of rival candidates for the non-party position of village chief fought armed battles in several locations. But Mr Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) saw a slimmer majority than when it won a landslide victory in polls two years ago.
Partial results from provincial and municipal polls suggest a clear win for the governing AKP. At least six people were reportedly killed in mainly Kurdish eastern areas.
The AKP was put on trial last year and faced closure. The deaths came as supporters of rival candidates for the non-party position of village chief fought armed battles.
It was charged with threatening Turkey's strictly secular system. Last year, the AKP survived a trial aimed at closing it down as a threat to secularism.
With a potentially strong mandate despite the economic downturn, the AKP (Justice and Development Party) will likely focus on democratic reform, and a loan agreement with the IMF which will entail restrictions on spending. Partial results suggested it had only garnered 39% of the vote, down from 47% in national elections in 2007, although it did appear to have won most of the mayoral and district administrator posts available, AP news agency reported.
Win assured The secular Republican People's Party trailed with 20% of the vote, while the Nationalist Action Party was in third place with 17%, state television reported.
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 pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party had a strong lead in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the country's Kurdish-dominated south-east.
IMF talks
A win should allow the government to re-focus attention on democratic reforms, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul.
The AKP wants to prove it is at least as popular now as in the national election in 2007The 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.
The AKP wants to prove it is at least as popular now as it was in the national election in 2007, our correspondent says.
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, our correspondent adds, 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.
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.
While this was a local election it felt like a national one, our correspondent says, and almost every street was festooned with party flags and posters.
Party leaders - especially Mr Erdogan - had been touring the country for several weeks, staging mass political rallies.
The shrinking economy and rising unemployment likely influenced some voters, our correspondent adds, but Mr Erdogan is still the most popular Turkish politician by far.