​Erdogan promises capital punishment, as opposition furious about irregularities

TURKEY - In Brief 16 Apr 2017 by Atilla Yesilada

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Since the chairman of the High Election Board (HEB) certified (unofficially) the YES victory, I can declare Mr. Erdogan the first executive president of Turkey. The margin was slim; YES side garnered only 51.4% of the eligible votes. The resilience of the NO vote, despite the almost insurmountable advantages of AKP-MHP in terms of financial resources, access to media and an immense crackdown are a credit to Turkey’s enduring democratic tradition. The 87% participation rate also suggests the citizens cared about the constitutional changes and Turkey remains almost evenly divided about the wisdom of the new system. President Erdogan sounded vindictive in his now-traditional balcony speech, claiming victory was won despite “threats”. He made little effort to embrace the nation, or to console the losers. He dismissed suggestions there was voter fraud. His only specific policy promise was to immediately introduce capital punishment after consultations with Yildirim and Bahceli, even at the expense of a second referendum. To remind our readers, the adoption of death penalty would automatically suspend EU accession talks. I also understand that the Cabinet will meet in his palace today, where I hope to gain more clues about the new policy path. One item is almost certain, the State of Emergency is on the agenda and will be expanded for at least another three months. The opposition is furious. CHP leader Kilicdaroglu accused HEB of violating the Electoral Law by admitting envelopes not sealed by borough Election Councils or station monitors. He implied that results will be challenged. HDP spokesperson Mr. Osman Baydemir claims irregularities in up to 65% of districts, and his ...