Turkey Referendum; 'Yes' Vote for Constitutional Changes

The results of the vote counting from the referendum held on Sunday in Turkey indicate that 51.3% of voters have voted 'Yes' for constitutional changes in the country. However, government opponents say they will challenge the results of the referendum. According to the Associated Press, with the announcement of the referendum results, supporters of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have begun celebrating in the streets. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, congratulated Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım on the 'Yes' result of the referendum and described the outcome as 'clear.' Erdoğan also thanked supporters of the constitutional changes for their trust and considered their positive vote a 'historic decision' for Turkey. He told reporters at his residence in Istanbul, 'Together with the people, we have realized the most important change in the history of our country. We will continue on our path stronger and faster than before.' The Turkish President also described criticisms of the referendum results as 'a futile effort.' Erdoğan emphasized Turkey's determination to fight terrorism and called on foreign countries to respect the will of the Turkish people. Meanwhile, the Republican People's Party and the Nationalist Movement Party, the two main opposition parties in Turkey, announced that they would challenge the referendum results. In this regard, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Republican People's Party stated that the party demands a recount of 60% of the votes. The Peoples' Democratic Party also claims there are signs of 'manipulation in three to four percent of the votes.' In contrast, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and leader of the Justice and Development Party stated that everyone should respect the outcome of the referendum. Yıldırım, while announcing the victory of supporters of the constitutional changes, described the referendum result as 'opening another page in the history of Turkish democracy.' He stated at the Justice and Development Party headquarters in Ankara, 'The result of this referendum is the best response to the Kurdish militants and all foreign forces hostile to Turkey.' Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also welcomed the referendum result, deeming it a 'new birth' for Turkey. At the same time, the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party stated that the referendum result should be respected. Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of this party, assessed the referendum result as 'an important success' and emphasized the need for everyone to respect this outcome. However, according to Agence France-Presse, opponents of the constitutional changes in Turkey criticized the Supreme Election Board's decision to count ballots without stamps. The Supreme Election Board announced in the final hours of the referendum that all ballots, even if unstamped, would be counted unless it could be proven that these ballots were brought from outside the polling area. This decision was made due to complaints from some voters about receiving unstamped ballots in polling stations. The Republican People's Party and the Nationalist Movement Party stated that the Election Board's decision to count unstamped votes is 'illegal' and opens the door for fraud in this referendum. With the 'Yes' vote from the Turkish people for constitutional changes, the President will have extensive powers in the country. This referendum was about 18 changes to the Turkish constitution, which transforms the parliamentary system into a presidential system and abolishes the position of Prime Minister. These changes will be implemented starting in 2019 and will allow Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to run for two more presidential terms after his current presidency ends. Erdoğan and his supporters claim that the presidential system will bring 'stability and wealth' to Turkey. In contrast, opponents of the constitutional changes believe that such a system will lead to 'dictatorship' and pave the way for 'repression and violation of individual freedoms.' Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, considered the referendum an opportunity for 'change and transformation' when he cast his vote in Istanbul, stating, 'We must make a decision that goes beyond ordinary decisions.' More than 55 million citizens of Turkey were registered to participate in this referendum. This referendum was held while Recep Tayyip Erdoğan managed to overcome the coup attempt of last July; since then, nearly 100,000 people, including judges, lawyers, teachers, academics, doctors, journalists, military personnel, and police forces accused of collaborating with the coup plotters have been dismissed. Additionally, during this time, 40,000 people have been arrested in Turkey, and dozens of media outlets, newspapers, and NGOs have been shut down. The conflict with Kurdish militants and terrorist attacks in Turkish cities are other challenges the government has faced in recent months.