Turkey referendum 'below international standards', says European observer mission

An international observer mission, who monitored voting in Turkey’s referendum on Sunday, said procedures "fell short" of the international standards Turkey had signed up to.


However,Turkey's own electoral board confirmed the "yes" victory and said the final official results would be declared in 11-12 days. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the "yes" side stood at 51.4 percent of the vote, while the "no" vote saw 48.6 percent support.

The ‘win’ could cement President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's hold on power in Turkey for a decade.

Questionable votes

However, Tana de Zulueta, head of the observer mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe specifically criticised a decision by Turkey's electoral board to accept ballots that did not have official stamps, saying it removed key safeguards and undermined the fight against fraud. The system is designed to ensure that only one vote is cast per registered person and to avoid the possibility of ballot box-stuffing.

De Zulueta added that the procedural changes contradicted Turkey’s own laws.

The Turkish foreign ministry rejected the international monitors' findings as "politically motivated".
  (FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AP)
17/4/17