Election monitor responds to interior minister's accusations

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Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, elected as an MP from Istanbul in the May 14 elections, took aim at the Vote and Beyond (Oy ve Ötesi) Association, an election monitoring group. During a television program he appeared on Thursday, Soylu alleged that the group received funding from the Swedish consulate and Belgium, turning it into an accusation.

In a speech he made during his visit to an association last night, Soylu claimed that "Vote and Beyond" was prohibited from being present at the ballot box and said, "Giving them observer status was wrong."

Ertim Orkun, board chair of Vote and Beyond, spoke to bianet regarding Soylu's targeting statements.

Orkun stated that they only created a pool of observers as "Vote and Beyond" and added, "We aren't present at the ballot box as 'Vote and Beyond.' After creating a pool of observers, we have meetings with political parties and inform them that we can assist according to their observer needs.

"The observers are present at the ballot box on behalf of political parties, not on behalf of us. It comes down to what Süleyman Soylu said. And nobody can prevent this. The presence of observers at the ballot box is a constitutional right, and no one can hinder our constitutional right."

Orkun stated that legal commissions would be involved in the process in case of any obstruction. (RT/VK)