Turkey’s AKP ruling party far ahead in local election

The AKP, founded by Erdogan in August 2001, made strong gains in both Turkey’s largest city Istanbul and the capital Ankara where it won more than half of the votes cast. The only other party represented in the parliament, Republican People’s Party, trailed well behind the AKP with about 20 percent of the vote, early results showed.

"Victory will not spin our head," Erdogan told reporters.

"Our party has expanded its support base. We’re aware that it increased the responsibility on our shoulders," said Erdogan, whose party won a victory in a November 2002 general election.

Sporadic violence took place in some eastern municipal districts on Sunday. Four men were killed and more than 100 otherswounded in separate disputes over the local elections, the Turkishprivate NTV reported.

Erdogan said he planned to call US president George W. Bush, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac to discuss Cyprus issue over the next two days.

"I’m going to ask for support so that the negotiations continuemore positively," said Erdogan, who was due to fly to Switzerland to negotiate with leaders from Greece and Cyprus on a reunification plan for the divided island.

Getting Turkey into the European Unions (EU) has been one of Erdogan’s pressing priorities. Turkey has been committing itself to doing whatever was necessary to meet EU requirements, and solution of the Cyprus issue is expected to benefit Turkey on its path to the European Union.

EU leaders are due to decide in December whether Turkey has made sufficient progress on human rights and political freedoms toopen the talks on Turkey’s accession, which are expected to last many years.

Cyprus has remained split since 1974 when Turkish troops entered the north of the island after a failed Greek Cypriot coup seeking union with Greece. Enditem