Opposition to challenge votes on expanding Erdogan’s powers

Turkey’s main opposition party on Monday prepared to contest the results of a landmark referendum that gave a narrow victory to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s long-time plans to greatly expand the powers of his office.

Turkey’s electoral board confirmed the “yes” victory in Sunday’s referendum and said the final results would be declared in 11-12 days. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the “yes” vote stood at 51.41 percent, while the “no” vote was 48.59 percent.

The margin fell short of the sweeping victory Erdogan had sought in the referendum. Nevertheless, it could cement his hold on power in Turkey and is expected to have a huge effect on the country’s long-term political future and its international relations.

In a bid to get back to business after the bitterly-contested campaign, Erdogan was on Monday to chair a cabinet meeting at his presidential palace, Turkish media said.

Erdogan declared that Turkey’s had made a “historic” decision and appeared standing on top of a bus in front of thousands of cheering supporters outside his Huber Palace Istanbul residence on the shores of the Bosphorus.

Turkey’s three largest cities — Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir — all voted ‘No’ although ‘Yes’ prevailed in Erdogan’s Anatolian heartland.

With the opposition crying foul over alleged violations, all eyes will be on Monday’s announcement by international observers from the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) and the Council of Europe who will give their initial assessment of the vote.

“On April 17, we have woken up to a new Turkey,” wrote the pro-government Hurriyet columnist Abdulkadir Selvi.

“The ‘Yes’ was victorious but the people have sent messages to the government and opposition that need to be carefully considered.”

The 18 constitutional amendments that will come into effect after the next election, scheduled for 2019, will abolish the office of the prime minister and hand sweeping executive powers to the president.

Opponents had argued the constitutional changes would give too much power to a man who they say has shown increasingly autocratic tendencies.

The referendum campaign was highly divisive and heavily one-sided, with the “yes” side dominating the airwaves and billboards. Supporters of the “no” vote have complained of intimidation, including beatings, detentions and threats.

Opposition parties have complained of a number of irregularities in the voting, including an electoral board decision to accept as valid ballots that did not bear the official stamp.

Legislator Utku Cakirozer told The Associated Press that his Republican People’s Party would on Monday file objections to results at local electoral board branches, before taking their case to the Supreme Electoral Board.

Cakiozer said: “At the moment this is a dubious vote.”

The country’s pro-Kurdish party said it may take the case to the European Court of Human Rights if the electoral board does not reverse his decision and nullify the ballots lacking the official stamps.

The head of the board, Sadi Guven, on Monday, rejected opposition claims of foul play, saying none of the ballot papers that were declared as valid was “fake” or fraudulently cast. Guven said the decision was taken so that voters who were by mistake given unstamped ballot papers would not be “victimized.”

“The ballot papers are not fake, there is no (reason) for doubt,” Guven said.

In Istanbul, hundreds of demonstrators opposed to the amendments marched in a central neighborhood late Sunday, clanging pots and pans.

Many pro-government newspapers praised the results and Sabah newspaper’s headline read: “A popular revolution.”

Sozcu newspaper, one of a few newspapers critical of the government, referred to the alleged irregularities and asked in its headline: “Is your conscience at ease?”

Throughout the campaign, Erdogan launched bitter attacks on the European Union, accusing member states of behaving like the Third Reich in failing to allow his ministers to campaign among expats.

The initial reaction from Turkey’s Western allies was far from ebullient, with top EU officials saying Turkey had to find the “broadest possible” agreement on the changes in view of the closeness of the result.

In an indication more strife with Brussels could be in the offing, Erdogan said he would now hold talks on reinstating capital punishment, a move that would automatically end Turkey’s EU bid.

If the opposition failed to support such a bill, he said another referendum could be held on reinstating the death penalty.

The new system would dispense with the office of prime minister and centralize the entire executive bureaucracy under the president, giving Erdogan the direct power to appoint ministers.

It would also mean that Erdogan, who became president in 2014, could seek two more five-year terms leaving him in power until 2029.