The historic referendum in Turkey has given President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sweeping powers even though opposition parties questioned the outcome and said they would challenge the results.
With nearly all ballots counted, the “yes” vote stood at 51.41 percent, while the “no” vote was 48.59 percent, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The head of Turkey’s electoral board confirmed the “yes” victory and said final results would be declared in 11-12 days.
Although the margin fell short of the landslide victory Erdogan had expected in the landmark referendum, it could nevertheless cement his hold on power in Turkey and is expected to have a huge effect on the country’s long-term political future and its international relations.
The 18 constitutional amendments that will come into effect after the next election, scheduled for 2019, will abolish the office of the prime minister and hand sweeping executive powers to the president.
In his first remarks from Istanbul after the vote count showed the amendments winning approval, Erdogan struck a conciliatory tone, thanking all voters no matter how they cast their ballots and calling the referendum a “historic decision.”
“April 16 is the victory of all who said ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ of the whole 80 million, of the whole of Turkey,” Erdogan told reporters in a live televised address.
For those opposing the result, he said, “There are those who are belittling the result. They shouldn’t try, it will be in vain,” he said. “It’s too late now.”
“We want other countries and organizations to show respect to the decision of our people. We expect countries that we accept as our allies to show more sensitivity to our fight against terrorism,” a shot at international critics.
Those opposing the referendum argued that the constitutional changes would give too much power to a man who they say has shown increasingly autocratic tendencies.
Opposition parties complained of a number of irregularities in the voting, and were particularly incensed by an electoral board decision announced Sunday afternoon to accept as valid ballots that did not bear the official stamp.
Representatives from a coalition of international bodies said the referendum took place on an “unlevel playing field” with the “yes” campaign dominating media coverage. Voters were not provided with adequate information, opposition voices were muzzled and the rules were changed at the last minute, they said.
The monitors — a partnership of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council for Europe — will deliver their final report in eight weeks.
The three biggest cities in Turkey-Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir-rejected the plans, which would abolish Turkey’s system of parliamentary democracy and replace it with an executive presidency with sweeping, largely unchecked powers.
