ERBIL, Kurdistan Region-- Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) on Wednesday challenged the official results of the country's weekend referendum, and announced it will file a formal appeal with electoral authorities.
HDP lawmaker Midget Cencar said “widespread fraud and irregularities” had taken place in the historic public vote which he said reversed the outcome of the referendum.
“The fake votes were systematically cast and counted and the referendum had been held in an unlawful way which deprive the referendum its credibility,” Cencar told reporters in a press conference in Ankara Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) threatened to boycott the parliament in protest against what it described as “illegitimacy of the referendum” and called on Turkey’s electoral body to nullify the election results and announce a new referendum.
“We do not recognise the referendum result,” said CHP spokeswoman Selin Sayek Böke. "There should be no doubt that we will exercise all our democratic rights against it,” she added.
HDP’s Cencar said there were great number of unsealed ballot ticket which he said were the greatest evidence that showed the fraud and irregularities. He said if the Turkish High Commission of Elections did not nullify the referendum outcome, the commission would discredit itself.
“The referendum took place under inappropriate conditions and under pressure from the state of emergency,” said HDP Spokesperson Osman Baydemir referring to the ongoing martial law that has been imposed in Turkey’s Kurdish southeast.
“The no camp won since the government made use of its utmost power and despite all the fraud, threats, pressure and limitless unlawfulness, they received only 51 percent,” Baydemir added.
On Tuesday an Austrian member of the Council of Europe observer mission said up to 2.5 million votes could have been manipulated in the Turkish referendum that ended in a close "yes" vote for greater presidential powers.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed criticisms of the vote, saying foreign observers should "know their place". The foreign ministry said foreign monitors lacked objectivity and impartiality.
If the referendum results are recognised by the parliament, the president will have sweeping new executive powers in nearly all branches of the state including in the government, the military and in the monetary policies, unlike any other president over the past century.
HDP lawmaker Midget Cencar said “widespread fraud and irregularities” had taken place in the historic public vote which he said reversed the outcome of the referendum.
“The fake votes were systematically cast and counted and the referendum had been held in an unlawful way which deprive the referendum its credibility,” Cencar told reporters in a press conference in Ankara Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) threatened to boycott the parliament in protest against what it described as “illegitimacy of the referendum” and called on Turkey’s electoral body to nullify the election results and announce a new referendum.
“We do not recognise the referendum result,” said CHP spokeswoman Selin Sayek Böke. "There should be no doubt that we will exercise all our democratic rights against it,” she added.
HDP’s Cencar said there were great number of unsealed ballot ticket which he said were the greatest evidence that showed the fraud and irregularities. He said if the Turkish High Commission of Elections did not nullify the referendum outcome, the commission would discredit itself.
“The referendum took place under inappropriate conditions and under pressure from the state of emergency,” said HDP Spokesperson Osman Baydemir referring to the ongoing martial law that has been imposed in Turkey’s Kurdish southeast.
“The no camp won since the government made use of its utmost power and despite all the fraud, threats, pressure and limitless unlawfulness, they received only 51 percent,” Baydemir added.
On Tuesday an Austrian member of the Council of Europe observer mission said up to 2.5 million votes could have been manipulated in the Turkish referendum that ended in a close "yes" vote for greater presidential powers.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed criticisms of the vote, saying foreign observers should "know their place". The foreign ministry said foreign monitors lacked objectivity and impartiality.
If the referendum results are recognised by the parliament, the president will have sweeping new executive powers in nearly all branches of the state including in the government, the military and in the monetary policies, unlike any other president over the past century.
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