7 years ago today, a referendum that abolished the parliamentary system in Turkey and introduced a presidential system with a president with very broad powers was accepted with a very bare majority of 51%.
https://i.redd.it/y74q7t45evuc1.jpeg
by rustytreewrangler
27 comments
road of no return
brexit was the same, i think it was 52%?
This vote was one of the most controversial votes regarding election security in the history of Türkiye. Under normal circumstances, ballot papers and ballot envelopes in Turkey had to be sealed with a special seal containing a watermark in front of the representatives of all parties before the election started. The watermark of this seal is also used on paper money and is very difficult to imitate. The purpose of this practice, which has been in place in Turkey since the 1950s, was to prevent a vote brought from outside the election hall from somehow entering the ballot box and being counted.
However, in this election, it was observed that approximately 2.5 million votes did not have this security feature. Later, Turkey’s election board claimed that the reason why some votes did not have this security seal was due to the negligence of the ballot box officials, and therefore, deeming these votes invalid would victimize the citizens who had voted and that renewing the election would be an unnecessary expense, and considered the votes without this security seal as valid.
Although there is not much clear evidence of election fraud, this situation and the fact that the difference between Yes and No is less than 2.5 million “unsealed” still gave rise to endless speculation of election fraud.
He is a dictator, it’s plain to see.
I swear every country has that damned %1.
It’s crazy to see so many people voting against not only their own interrest but the well being of the democracy that took so much effort to establish.
It’s a miracle our country is even functioning at this point.
The worst thing is that people living in the comfort of democracies could vote for an authoritarian, without having to suffer the consequences themselves. This should not be a thing.
Such important referendums should require 2/3 majority vote. 66%
I believe most of the allegations of elections being rigged in turkey are false, but i’m almost sure that this one with taking its importance into account for current regime, is rigged. Election council (YSK) allowed unstamped ballots to be counted, meaning you could print out a ballot and count it as legitimate.
And a side note: One day after the same opposition guy who made us lose the 2023 elections, smiled to cameras and said “i was scared that blood would be shed if told people to go out on the streets”
These 50:50 votes will be the end of us. I don’t understand why supermajorities aren’t more widely accepted for such massive decisions.
…and that is how you make a puppet state
I wonder when the tides turn one day, if this referendum could be taken to court and be deemed illegitimate, and force the country to go back to the parliamentary system by default… Interesting judicial question 🤔
7 years ago? A referendum that passed with a small majority? It’s a dreadful idea and most people don’t understand?
And it’s not Brexit???
Before Erdogans rape to Turkey. The leader of the opposition agreed to all frauds – he was a loser and Trojan horse in opposition. This referendum destroyed Turkey and made Turkey a one man dictatorship dystopia. And now they re paying it with huge inflation and economic chaos while that one Mans family is stealing all like Putin’s gang. Also with the illegal refugees the country’s future is doomed.
So like France?
This referendum was the reason the Dutch police had to tow the car of a Turkish minister outside the country as she’d be denied entry and then Erdogan calling for Dutch Turks to riot in the streets in the Netherlands.
Our cities were burning the same day.
It seems Batman voted no. Be more like Batman everybody.
Only 52? Pathetic in ruzuia it would be at least 95%
And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is why Turkey should be left out of the EU. If they don’t know how to preserve their democracy, they deserve nothing.
You’d think an amendment of that magnitude would require a supermajority..
nothing went right after that
I prefer a president with absolute authority over a very narrow range. Like they will get to decide what shoes they will wear or whether they will skip breakfast or not. Everything else can be followed using common sense. Example: Does this activity hurt people? Then that is unlawful. Are low wages making it impossible for a person to afford rent? Then raise wages and construct lower income housing.
Majority that doesn’t produce anything for the nation.
Rigged election.
1- 2.5 million unsealed votes that should not have been admitted were admitted by the election board.
2- Referendum was done during emergency military martial law which was in effect due to attempted coup
With this referandum Türkiye is done for.
Well, I mean it was 51.4%, just sayin
Democracy
still better democracy than in some european christianic countries