1st LD: "No" camp leads in Istanbul, Izmir in referendum votes

The "No" camp is leading in Istanbul and Izmir, Turkey's largest and third largest cities, in referendum votes on constitutional changes that envision a switch to the presidential system, CNNTurk reported.

The naysayers are winning 51 percent of the ballot, as against 49 percent by the yeasayers, as 97 percent has been counted in Istanbul, which boasts almost one fifth of all the voters in Turkey and holds the key to the referendum result, CNNTurk said.

It said the ratio is 68 percent to 32 percent in Izmir, with 81 percent of the ballot already tallied. Endit