İstanbul Election Rerun: Reactions from Europe

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The YSK ruled yesterday (May 6) that the March 31 local elections shall be canceled and a repeat election shall be held on June 23, upon an objection to the results by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The verdict has drawn criticism from both inside and outside of the country, with European politicians and EU officials denouncing it.

“Trust of the voters" could be damaged

Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjørn Jagland released a written statement:

“With regard to the Turkish Supreme Election Council’s decision on a rerun of the local elections in Istanbul, I refer to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the only international body who had been invited to observe the local elections on 31 March. We underline that the necessary conditions for free and fair elections must be verified prior to the Election Day – and not afterwards.

The decision of the Supreme Electoral Council has the potential to severely damage the trust of the Turkish voters in the electoral authorities. The Turkish People deserve an electoral process that provides democratic guarantees including a reliable and stable legal framework for elections.”

Kati Piri, the Turkey rapporteur of the European Parliament, criticizing President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for “not accepting defeat.”

Erdogan does not accept defeat and goes against the will of the people. AKP pressured YSK to re-run local elections in Istanbul. This ends the credibility of democratic transition of power through elections in Turkey.

— Kati Piri (@KatiPiri) May 6, 2019

“Against the core aim of democracy”

Federica Mogherini and Johannes Hahn released a joint statement, urging the authorities from Turkey to publish the justification for the verdict without delay. “The Turkish Supreme Election Council decided to re-run elections in Istanbul following extraordinary appeals which contested the initially certified outcome of these elections.

The justification for this far-reaching decision, taken in a highly politicised context, should be made available for public scrutiny without delay. We expect the Turkish authorities to extend their invitation to international observers, such as the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, to observe the re-run elections.

The decisions by the Supreme Election Council to declare elected mayors and members of municipal councils ineligible to assume office in the south-east of Turkey - even though their candidacies had been checked and validated before the elections - and to give mayoral mandates to the candidates who got the second highest number of votes, go against the core aim of a democratic electoral process to ensure that the will of the people prevails.

They also undermine the electoral process to which the Turkish people have shown their commitment by casting their votes in very large number as well as Turkey's commitments as member of the Council of Europe.”

Ska Keller, chair of the Green’s group in the European Parliament, tweeted, “Once upon a time in #Turkey, #elections led to a democratic transition of power. Not anymore, it seems.”

Once upon a time in #Turkey, #elections led to a democratic transition of power. Not anymore, it seems. https://t.co/cXePfOirMi

— Ska Keller (@SkaKeller) May 6, 2019

Claudia Toth, the Deputy Speaker of the Federal Parliament of Germany, said that the YSK verdict is a result of “heavy pressure from the top,” the Deutsche Welle Turkish reported.

Cem Özdemir, the former co-chair of the Greens in Germany, also posted tweets on the cancellation of the elections.

“Democracy does not mean repeating elections until the result is right. Erdoğan lives up to the Turkish proverb: "The fox, who does not get to the grapes, claimed that they are sour. First he approved the lawyers ' visit to Öcalan, then election loser Erdogan had the election annulled in #Istanbul. He hopes for Kurdish votes & the split of the opposition. But Kurds are not for sale. You can feel the panic of authoritarian ruler Erdogan & the AKP," Özdemir remarked.

Erst genehmigte er den Besuch der Anwälte bei Öcalan, dann lies Wahlverlierer Erdogan die Wahl in #Istanbul annullieren. Er hofft auf kurdische Stimmen & die Spaltung der Opposition. Aber Kurden sind nicht käuflich. Man spürt die Panik des autoritären Herrschers Erdogan & der AKP

— Cem Özdemir (@cem_oezdemir) May 6, 2019

(PT/VK)