ISTANBUL: Turkey’s opposition parties have the right to file objections to the outcome of a recent referendum on expanding presidential powers, the prime minister said Wednesday, but he warned that calling for street protests was unacceptable.
Binali Yildirim said the electoral board would rule on the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s request for the referendum’s annulment. Opposition parties have complained of a series of irregularities, particularly an electoral board decision to accept ballots without official stamps, as required by Turkish law.
Yildirim said “the path to seek rights” should be limited to legal objections.
“Calling people to the street is wrong and is outside the line of legitimacy,” Yildirim said, adding that “we expect the main opposition party’s leader to act more responsibly.”
Thousands have protested in Istanbul and Ankara since Sunday’s referendum, which has set into motion the transformation of Turkey’s system of government from a parliamentary to a presidential one.
Unofficial results show a narrow win for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “yes” campaign, which won 51.4 percent of the vote.
“The main opposition party not recognizing the results is not an acceptable thing,” Yildirim said.
Electoral board head Sadi Guven said the objections would be evaluated Wednesday.
The Istanbul Bar Association announced it had filed a criminal complaint Wednesday against Guven for “wrongful conduct” and “altering the result of the election.”
A prosecutor will now consider whether to press charges against Guven.
International election monitors, including from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), also noted a series of irregularities, and said the decision to accept as valid ballots without official stamps undermined safeguards against fraud and was contrary to Turkish law.
Germany also expressed concern.
“The German government takes the report by the OSCE and the Council of Europe very seriously, and we expect Turkey to do so,” government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer told reporters in Berlin. “We will follow closely how Turkey behaves on this.”
The US response has been different, with President Donald Trump calling Erdogan shortly after the referendum to congratulate him on his win.
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Erdogan and Trump would meet in person next month, before a NATO Summit. Cavusoglu said that he and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would finalize the date according to the two presidents’ schedules.
Turkey’s premier warns opposition against street protests
Turkey’s premier warns opposition against street protests
About 50,000 worshippers perform Taraweeh prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque
- Palestinians are observing Ramadan amid heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank
- Over 300 Jerusalemites have recently received Israeli orders prohibiting their entry to Al-Aqsa Mosque during the fasting month
LONDON: Nearly 50,000 worshippers performed the Isha and Ramadan Taraweeh prayers on Sunday evening at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the walled city of occupied East Jerusalem.
Thousands of Palestinians gathered at Al-Aqsa despite facing Israeli military checkpoints and strict identity checks at the mosque’s gates, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.
Palestinians are observing the fasting month of Ramadan, which began last Wednesday, amid heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank, including attacks by settlers, and Israeli raids and arrests.
Over 300 Jerusalemites have recently received Israeli orders prohibiting their entry to Al-Aqsa during Ramadan, the Wafa news agency reported.
Israeli forces have increased their military presence in Jerusalem and restricted access to Al-Aqsa to children under 12, men over 55, and women over 50.
Since Wednesday, thousands of Palestinians have lined up to pass through military checkpoints, including Qalandiya and Bethlehem, in hopes of attending prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.
