Turkey’s premier warns opposition against street protests

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 says Wednesday, but he warns that calling for street protests is unacceptable.

Binali Yildirim says the electoral board would rule on the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s request for the referendum’s annulment. Opposition parties complain of a series of irregularities, particularly an electoral board decision to accept ballots without official stamps, as required by Turkish law.

Yildirim says the “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 says, 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.

— AP