Erdogan tells critics ‘ know your place’ as poll fury rises
Turkey’S President recep Tayyip Erdogan told international watchdogs to ‘know your place’ last night as concerns mounted over his hugely controversial referendum victory.
Thousands took to the streets to protest after Turkey’s parliamentary system was replaced with an all-powerful presidency which could see Mr Erdogan remain in the post until 2029.
As protesters chanted ‘thief, murderer, Erdogan’ and held banners reading ‘ No – we will win’, footage emerged purporting to show a man being attacked by Erdogan supporters. A video was also posted on Twitter in which an official is allegedly seen adding stamps to ballots already cast.
It came as opposition parties called for the referendum to be annulled and a watchdog said the vote ‘fell short’ of international standards.
Tana de Zuleta, of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), warned of irregularities after a Turkish electoral board decided to allow votes that were not officially stamped.
The watchdog criticised the one-sided campaign in which Mr Erdogan’s Yes side dominated airwaves and billboards.
The arrests of journalists and closure of media outlets following last year’s failed coup prevented other views from being heard, critics said.
But Mr Erdogan yesterday insisted the vote was the ‘most democratic election’ seen in any Western country. Addressing supporters outside his palace in Ankara, the 63-year-old said Turkey would ignore the watchdog’s findings.
He said: ‘First, know your place! We won’t see or hear the politically motivated reports you prepare.’
It came as Cezar Florin Preda, head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, said: ‘In general, the referendum did not live up to Council of Europe standards. The legal framework was inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic process.’
America urged Turkey’s government to protect basic rights and freedoms. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said irregularities both on voting day and during the campaign led to an ‘uneven playing field’ for the No side.
But Mr Erdogan said: ‘The crusader mentality attacked us abroad, inside their lackeys attacked us. As a nation we stood strong.’ The Yes cam- paign won with 51.4 per cent of the vote. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France’s President Francois Hollande both said that the close result showed the great division in Turkish society.
France also called on Turkey to respect the European Convention on Human rights.
Hours after his victory, Mr Erdogan said Turkey could hold another referendum on reinstating the death penalty, which would spell the end of Turkey’s EU accession talks.
There were concerns last night that Turkey could renege on its migrant deal to stop people travelling across its border into Greece and the EU.
Brussels diplomats fear Mr Erdogan will issue an ultimatum demanding visa- free travel in the EU for Turks in exchange for continuing to bar onward travel from countries such as Syria and Iraq.
Turkey’s top security body last night backed extending the nine - month state of emergency.
‘Uneven playing field for No’