Challenges to Contested Turkish Referendum Grow
Challenges are growing to the validity of Sunday’s referendum in Turkey to extend the country’s presidential powers. “Referendum won by cheating,” declared Osman Baydemir, spokesman of the pro-Kurdish HDP, Turkey’s second-largest opposition party. An HDP report on the vote said 2,462 “No” campaigners were detained and 453 jailed during the 85-day campaign. HDP’s honorary president and deputy, Ertugrul Kurkcu, said the past two months were a “total violation of democratic principles.” Kurkcu said the investigation revealed widespread abuse on voting day. “It’s obvious,” he said. “Fraud is extensive. Invalid ballots and envelopes were very widely deliberately used, as well as …