Turkish leader claims victory
Win in referendum would widen powers
ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apparently won a historic referendum Sunday that will greatly expand the powers of his office, although opposition parties questioned the outcome and said they would challenge the results.
With nearly all ballots counted, the “yes” vote stood at 51.41 percent, while the “no” vote was 48.59 percent, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The head of Turkey’s electoral board confirmed the “yes” victory and said final results would be declared in 11-12 days.
The result tightens Mr. Erdogan’s grip on the country, which is one of the leading external actors in the Syrian civil war, a major way station along the migration routes to Europe and a crucial partner of the United States and Russia.
Although the margin fell short of the sweeping victory
Mr. Erdogan, 63, had sought in the landmark referendum, it could nevertheless cement his hold on power in Turkey and is expected to have a huge effect on the country’s long-term political future and its international relations.
The 18 constitutional amendments that will come into effect after the next election, scheduled for 2019, will end the current parliamentary political system, abolish the office of the prime minister and hand sweeping executive powers to the president.
Mr. Erdogan, who has been accused of repressing rights and freedoms, could govern until 2029 with few checks and balances.
The changes will allow the president to appoint ministers, senior government officials and half the members of Turkey’s highest judicial body, as well as to issue decrees and declare states of emergency. They set a limit of two five-year terms for presidents and allow the president to remain at the helm of a political party.
Mr. Erdogan, who came to power in 2003 as prime minister, had argued a “Turkish-style” presidential system would bring stability and prosperity to a country rattled by a failed coup last year that left more than 200 people dead, and a series of devastating attacks by the Islamic State group and Kurdish militants. He was seen to have ushered in a period of stability and economic prosperity, transforming hitherto backwaters.
Supporters found in him a man who gave a voice to the working- and middle-class religious Turks who long had felt marginalized by the country’s Western-leaning elite. But Mr. Erdogan became feared and hated by many who saw him as an increasingly autocratic leader seeking to erode the country’s secular traditions by imposing his rigid views.
In his first remarks from Istanbul after the vote count showed the amendments winning approval, Mr. Erdogan in a live televised address struck a conciliatory tone, thanking all voters no matter how they cast their ballots.
But Mr. Erdogan — who has been acting as a de facto head of government since his election in 2014 despite having no constitutional right to wield such power — quickly reverted to a more abrasive style when addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters in Istanbul.
“There are those who are belittling the result. They shouldn’t try, it will be in vain,” he said. “It’s too late now.”
He also took a dig at international critics. During the referendum campaign, Ankara’s relations soured with some European countries, notably Germany and the Netherlands. Mr. Erdogan branded officials in the two nations as Nazis for not allowing his ministers to campaign for the expatriate vote there.
Opponents had argued the constitutional changes would give too much power to a man who they say has shown increasingly autocratic tendencies with each election win. Opposition parties complained of irregularities in the voting, and were particularly incensed by an 11th-hour electoral board decision announced Sunday afternoon to accept as valid ballots that did not bear the official stamp.
Many analysts were surprised by the result, saying they had expected Mr. Erdogan to achieve a larger majority because he had held the referendum within an atmosphere of fear.
Mr. Erdogan’s campaign appealed to patriotic voters, especially those in the small towns in the Anatolian heartland, which voted “yes” overwhelmingly. Support in urban centers was much weaker. Voter turnout was 87 percent among the 58 million Turks eligible to cast ballots.
The vote came as Turkey has been buffeted by problems. Mr. Erdogan survived a coup attempt last July, which he has blamed on his former ally and current nemesis Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric living in Pennsylvania. Mr. Gulen has denied involvement.
A widespread government crackdown has targeted Gulen followers and other government opponents. A state of emergency has been imposed.
About 100,000 people — including judges, teachers, academics, doctors, journalists, military officials and police — have lost their jobs in the crackdown, and more than 40,000 have been arrested. Hundreds of media outlets and non-governmental organizations have been shut down.