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| 425 KM Protest March from Ankara to Istanbul |
Turkey’s leading opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is challenging the April 16th constitutional referendum result at the European Court of Human Rights.
The
referendum grants the President of Turkey, Recep Tayip Erdogan
unprecedented power. The “Yes” campaign secured a 51,4% share of the
vote, leaving Turkey politically polarized.
The leading opposition Republican Party
(CHP) protests that the Turkish Supreme Election Board (YSK) decided to
accept unstamped voting papers on the night of the vote, “unless it can
be proved that they were brought from outside the voting room.”
CHP’s leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu signed
a legal petition on Tuesday, on the occasion of the 20th day of his
justice march in the northwestern province of Kocaeli. The 68-year-old
Kılıçdaroğlu has organized a 425km march, which started on June 15 in
Ankara and is heading to Istanbul.
The march protests the imprisonment of CHP lawmaker Enis Berberoğlu, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for revealing the supply of Turkish arms to Syrian militant Islamists.
The spokesperson of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Mahir Ünal,
accused CHP of trying to create a “legitimacy crisis.” Ünal said he was
confident that the ECHR would rule in line with Turkey’s Supreme
Electoral Board (YSK).
