Nearly 1.6 million people attend Yenikapı rally of People’s Alliance in Istanbul

Some 1.6 million Istanbulites swarmed Yenikapı Square to attend a joint People's Alliance rally between the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) ahead of Turkey's local elections on March 31. The preparations for the meeting started early in the day to ensure the venue, considered to be the largest in the city, welcomed supporters for the ruling party. Thousands began arriving in the square hours before the rally, with attendees going through strict security screening before entering the venue. A huge platform was set up with large speakers and big screens placed around the square so the attendees could watch the stage. The rally was headlined by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, also the head of the ruling party, along with MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli and Binali Yıldırım, the AK Party's Istanbul mayoral candidate. President Erdoğan said 1.6 million people gathered in Yenikapı square to attend the rally. The massive rally in Yenikapi Square, spanning some 270,000 square meters, featured a huge platform, large speakers, and mega-screens so all the spectators could see the stage. With the clock ticking down to March 31, Election Day, Turkey is seeing daily campaign rallies and speeches by candidates and political leaders. Twelve political parties are set to compete in the local polls.