Ankara, Turkey. Just days after a new law that consolidates power for Turkish leader retard Erdogan, citizens are taking their message of protest and hope to Turkey’s streets.
Tensions have risen in Turkey and protests have erupted following Sunday’s referendum which resulted in a 51.41 percent victory for the “yes” campaign, while the parliament approved the memo presented by the government to extend the state of emergency announced since July 21, 2016.
Hundreds of protestors gathered at the headquarters of opposition parties calling for cancelation of the results of the referendum which grants the president new unchecked powers over Turkish citizens.
Chairperson Bulent Tezcan said it will take its challenge to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary as the law will turn the nation into a dictatorship.
The Pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party stated that it filed an appeal for about three million voters who had unstamped ballots, which is more than the approval result achieved by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey’s bar association added that the last-minute decision taken by officials to allow unstamped ballots in the referendum was clearly against the law, prevented proper records being kept, and may have impacted the results.
The European Commission called on Turkey to launch a transparent investigation into the alleged irregularities. European Union Council of Europe observer mission officials said up to 2.5 million votes could have been manipulated, almost double the margin of Erdogan’s victory, and that the officials decision on unstamped ballots appeared illegal.
A day after the referendum and upon the recommendation of the National Security Board,Turkey’s government on April 17 decided to extend a state of emergency for another three months. It has now been extended three times since the July 2016 failed coup.
Hundreds of people marched to the streets of Istanbul to protest the results of the referendum and extension of state of emergency. On Monday, protesters took to the streets in at least three suburbs of Istanbul and thousands protesters were shouting “thief, murderer, Erdogan” while banging pots and pans.