Supreme Election Council Rules ‘Parliamentary Election’ Sealed Envelopes Shall be Valid

* Photograph: Murat Bayram / bianet

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The Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Republican People's Party (CHP) appealed to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) regarding some voting envelopes that were either not sealed or carrying the seal of "Parliamentary election." Both parties requested that the votes cast in these envelopes be deemed valid.

Accordingly, the YSK convened at 2 p.m. today to discuss and decide on the request of both parties and ruled that the votes cast in envelopes carrying the seal of "Parliamentary election" shall be deemed valid.

'Parliamentary Election' seals in Üsküdar, Beykoz

Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Mahmut Tanal tweeted earlier today, "Parliamentary elections are written on the balloting committee seals on voting envelopes in Üsküdar. Please, show the utmost attention and care."

Shortly afterwards, similar news came from the district of Beykoz as well. 

In response, former CHP MP and journalist Barış Yarkadaş stated on Twitter, "The problem regarding the expression of 'Parliamentary Election' has been solved. Here is the verdict which rules that the envelopes in question shall be deemed valid" and shared the below picture.

In its related ruling, the Beykoz District Election Council indicated that the envelopes with "Parliamentary election" written on them will be considered valid. "The starting of voting procedure from scratch is not within time and possibility, considering that when the issue was detected, the voting process had already started," the ruling stated further. (TP/SD)