European Politics

Three days left until the referendum. The polls are pointing to one thing only: Every single vote is going to matter. Barring a surprise result, the winning vote will be in the 50-53% range.
 
"Yes" wins 51% to 49%. "No" won just about every single big city: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, Adana, Mersin, Hatay, Diyarbakır but lost overall.

Opposition parties demanding a revote with massive voter fraud claims.
 
Last edited:
The educated cities that drive the country's economy voted no. The uneducated suffering poor people voted no. But the uneducated people who aren't suffering became the deciding vote.

Democracy used for the purpose of destroying democracy does not deserve the respect of a democrat. As such, it will receive none from me. Especially not if the election board randomly decides to count the ballots without the board's official stamp on them.

Get the hell out of there, Flash.

They aren't making it easy for us to leave either though, are they? Secular people from Muslim countries like myself are being lumped in with Islamists throughout Europe. United States were better in this regard, but with Trump that's taking a wrong turn as well. I won't move out unless I can trust my job stability and that I won't be discriminated against (by the locals, not the state).

This shit ain't over. I love my country, our culture, our language. I could envision myself getting away and settling in, I probably have more in common with the average Western European than I do with the average Turkish person in terms of world outlook. But I can also envision myself feeling like I've cheated the millions of forward-thinking, secular, modern people of my country. As you saw in the referendum, we are not a small bunch.

Sorry for editing gazillion times, thoughts just come to my head as you can imagine.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: RTC
The majority of Turkish expats voted YES: average: 60%

Some countries:
Belgium: 75%
Austria: 73%
Netherlands: 71%
France: 65%
Germany: 63%
Denmark: 61%
Sweden: 47%
Switzerland: 38%
UK: 20%
 
Last edited:
Here's the map of the referendum. Red is "No", Green is "Yes".

Turkish_constitutional_referendum_2017.png


The majority of Turkish expats voted YES:
Average: 60%

Netherlands: 71%
Belgium: 75%
Austria: 73%
UK: 20%

Most Turks in Europe are descendents of people who emigrated from Central Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia and Black Sea regions. As you can see on the map, those are the places that voted "Yes".
 
Last edited:
What a surprise. <_<

OSCE: Turkey referendum 'contested on an unlevel playing field'

Election observers in Turkey have said that the Turkish referendum fell short of international standards, arguing that the two sides in the campaign did not have equal opportunities to get their messages across.

International election observers from the OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) reported on Monday that Turkey's constitutional referendum was contested on "an unlevel playing field."

Despite the technical aspects of the voting process being well administered, voters weren't provided with impartial information on key aspects of what they were voting for, the joint mission of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said in a statement.

"The referendum took place in a political environment in which fundamental freedoms essential to a genuinely democratic process were curtailed under the state of emergency, and the two sides did not have equal opportunities to make their case to the voters," Tana de Zulueta, head of the ODIHR limited election observation mission said.

Election observers in Turkey have said that the Turkish referendum fell short of international standards, arguing that the two sides in the campaign did not have equal opportunities to get their messages across.

Media coverage was dominated by the "yes" campaign, de Zulueta said, a factor which, along with the arrests of journalists and the closure of media outlets, "reduced voters' access to a plurality of views."

De Zulueta also said the campaign was imbalanced due to the involvement of leading local and national officials on the "yes" side.

"We observed the misuse of state resources, as well as the obstruction of 'no' campaign events. The campaign rhetoric was tarnished by some senior officials equating 'no' supporters with terrorist sympathizers," de Zulueta added.

'Important safeguard removed'

The observers also expressed concerns about a decision by the electoral commission to count ballots which did not carry an official stamp.

"Late changes in counting procedures removed an important safeguard," said Cezar Florin Preda, head of the PACE delegation said.


"In general, the referendum did not live up to Council of Europe standards. The legal framework was inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic process," Preda said. The Council of Europe is a 47-member body, of which Turkey is a member, which promotes human rights and the rule of law and is separate from the European Union.

A preliminary vote count showed Turkey voting 51.4 percent in favor of changing the country's constitution to give the president vastly expanded powers. The "yes" vote was boosted by support from Turkish voters living abroad, especially in Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Turkey has been under a state of emergency since a failed coup last July, Erdogan advocated extending it after the results of the referendum were published. The main opposition CHP, meanwhile, has called for a recount.
 
I did some research on immigration to Canada and I'd say it's pretty easy to get in if you get a job offer beforehand.
 
I hate that idiot and his buddies, and it's beyond me how the ruling (centre-right) party could form a coalition with them just in time for the Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the EU. :facepalm:
 
Back
Top