The aftershocks of the political earthquake triggered by Sunday’s municipal elections in Turkey that saw the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lose key cities to the main opposition continue to reverberate with some AKP candidates refusing to formally concede defeat, notably in the country’s commercial powerhouse Istanbul.

But few believe the country’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will risk unleashing a wave of popular protests that would further destabilize the economy, whose lagging performance was seen as a key factor driving the opposition's hefty gains. 

Indeed, formal appeals lodged by AKP officials ahead of a 3 p.m. deadline for registering complaints in Istanbul and elsewhere are seen as more of a diversionary tactic aimed at covering up the extent of the popular rebuke as Erdogan ponders his new strategy. The AKP is focused on some 30,000 spoiled ballots in Istanbul and is demanding a recount on the grounds they may include ones marked clearly in their favor. But barring last-minute shenanigans, the 20,000-vote lead commanded by Ekrem Imamoglu, the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate who has claimed victory, is unlikely to be dented.

Striking a conciliatory tone, AKP spokesman Omer Celik clearly signaled that his party would not kick up a fight in a press conference last night. “It is our duty to defend the right of every citizen who cast their vote. So it is not possible for us to pursue undeserved victory,” Celik said. “We don’t recognize any power over the national will.”