Press Review after Referendum

One day after the majority of Turkish voters said "Yes" to the constitutional reform package, the referendum made the headlines on Monday (13 September). Read a selection of headlines in the Turkish press as follows:

Birgün: National conservatives once more did not change the picture

According to the result, the balance of "60 percent right - 40 percent left" was consolidated. The nationalist-conservative votes solidified the AKP [ruling Justice and Development Party]. The AKP took the first step for a presidential system.

Evrensel: Yes: 58 percent - No: 42 percent

58 percent of the electorate said "Yes", 42 percent said "No" in the referendum on the constitutional reform package. The boycott [of the referendum] was effective in provinces of the region [South-Eastern Turkey]. Labour and democratic forces announced to continue their struggle to meet the people's demand for a truly democratic constitution.

Günlük:  Kurdish people decided on Democratic Autonomy

The Kurdish people abstained from voting with a record high. By deciding on a "Democratic Autonomy, they demonstrated that the way to a solution is paved by a new democratic constitution".

Hürriyet: Second balcony speech

When Erdoğan commented the victory of the referendum, he used moderate words just as he did in the AK Party balcony speech he delivered after the elections in 2007. "Everybody won", he said. "Both the ones who said yes and the ones who said no have won. We will change the Constitution in 2011 by making compromises".

Sabah: Turkey corrected the shame of the coup: 58 percent said "yes"

The Turkish people said "Yes" to more democracy. The votes against the referendum package remained at 42 percent. The voter participation amounted to 77 percent. The ballot boxes provided a great support for a more democratic, more civil, more liberal Turkey without tutelage.

Milliyet: "Yes" with a difference of 6 million votes

While 21.8 million votes said "yes", the votes against the referendum package remained at 15.8 million. Erdoğan won the sixth ballot victory since 2002 by 58 percent.

Habertürk: 57.9 percent said "Yes", 42.1 percent said "No"

Turkey voted on the Constitutional amendments. The electorate voted in favour of the novelties by a majority of 57.9 percent. [Opposition leader] Kılıçdaroğlu, who had toured 70 provinces and 193 cities to campaign for a "No", was not able to vote and apologized.

Taraf: Democracy was seized

On the 30^th anniversary of [the military coup on] 12 September, the Turkish electorate landed the biggest coup on the military tutelage. The referendum package was approved with a difference of 6 million votes. The turnout of voters amounted to 77 percent.

Vatan: Seventh victory

The constitutional referendum was Erdoğan's seventh victory at the ballot box since he was elected the Mayor of Istanbul in 1994.

Zaman: Victory of democracy

Turkey has made a historic decision on the anniversary of the coup on 12 September [1980]. A door has opened to a more liberal and democratic time by amending the coup constitution. With a turnout of 77 percent, 58 percent of the people said "Yes" to the first step of a civil constitution. Finally, the structure of the higher judiciary and the electoral system changed. Legal measures against decisions taken by YAŞ [High Military Council] and HSYK [Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors] became possible. The basic rights of all sections of society are assured, including the disabled people, women, children and civil servants.

Radikal: "Yest" but it is not enough

The mini constitutional reform was accepted. The ones who said "yes, but it's not enough", i.e. the people who wanted a new constitution, determined the result.

In a speech prior to the voting, Erdoğan thanked everybody including the left-wing groups.

TÜİSAD [Association of Turkish Industrialists and Business People], the organization that had not declared their vote beforehand, and MÜSİAD [Association of Independent Industrialists and Businessmen] both said "Yes" and requested a new constitution.

Cumhuriyet: "Yes" from the ballot boxes

58 percent said "Yes", 42 percent said "No". The boycott had an influence.

The votes of CHP [Republican People's Party] were not enough: The people decided on the constitutional reform package that

21.8 million voters out of an electorate of 49.5 million said "Yes". 15.8 million people voted against the package. In the coastal regions, where the CHP has a strong hold, the people voted against the package.

Tunceli is the leader of the negative votes: With a general turnout of 78 percent, the BDP's call for a boycott of the referendum effected the region of South-Eastern Turkey. The referendum was boycotted by almost 70 percent of the electorate in Diyarbakır and 90 percent in Hakkari. The highest ratio of "No" votes came from Tunceli. (BB/VK)