Chaos in Turkey: The vote ended in fists - and Erdogan's party won | Watch

A municipal council meeting in Menderes, Turkey, to elect a deputy mayor turned into a violent brawl over a dispute about vote counting. After four rounds of voting, Asuman Şen, the candidate of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, won, and control of the municipality passed to the ruling party.

A municipal council meeting in Menderes, Turkey, intended to elect a temporary deputy mayor, turned into a violent physical confrontation over a dispute about vote counting. The procedure, which was supposed to be routine, became a political struggle for control of the municipality, following the temporary removal of the elected mayor. In the first round, Şen received 12 votes, Gürsoy 10, Akar five, and Öztürk one. In the second round, three ballots were invalidated, sparking protest from the Republican People's Party, which claimed the ballots were linked to their faction. Party members left the hall, and voting resumed without them. In the third round, Şen led with 13 votes against 10 for Gürsoy, but no majority was reached. Before the fourth round, a brawl broke out among council members, involving shoving and exchanges of blows. After order was restored, Şen won the final round with 15 votes against 12 for Gürsoy, and one invalid vote. With her election, the municipality's administration passed to Erdogan's ruling party, after being under the control of the Republican People's Party. The event reflects a combination of a legal crisis, political struggle, and disagreement over the election process.