Şerif KARATAŞ
İstanbul
Following the local election, the recount of invalid votes is continuing in İstanbul as per the AKP’s objections. Lawyer Turgut Kazan, stressing that the AKP’s objections were not made within a natural procedure, said, “So, what transpires from this is that this involves the attempt to effectively invalidate the results. That is, it is a course of action taken so as not to accept the result.” Kazan also pointed to the ruling party’s pressure on the electoral council.
Former İstanbul Bar Association Chair Turgut Kazan assessed the ins and outs of the objection to the elections in İstanbul for Evrensel. Stressing that the objection the AKP has made is not a natural procedure, Kazan commented as follows: “One of the safeguards enabling elections to be held under the principle of honesty is the recognition of the right of objection. The right of objection is an indispensable electoral right, that is true. Of course, this right was not exercised as a recourse to objection. An objection cannot, in fact, be made by stressing, as state officials’ view of the event would have it, that this was a “FETO operation,” “a coup staged at the polls” and “the most tainted election.” So, what transpires from this is that this involves the attempt to effectively invalidate the results. That is, it is a course of action taken so as not to accept the result. Unfortunately, there remains no independent and impartial judiciary in Turkey and, for the reasons I have just mentioned, massive pressure has been brought to bear on election councils. In fact, a most base lie was concocted about the İstanbul Provincial Election Council Chair. And Mr Devlet Bahçeli has specifically called for “their identities and pasts to be investigated” with reference to this council. And, unfortunately, the provincial election board has lost its credibility since the last referendum. Here, the Supreme Election Council (SEC) did not conduct itself in a manner conducive to giving the impression of an election held in an atmosphere of honesty.”
Recalling the SEC’s resolution on the 2014 Ankara local election, Kazan noted, “The SEC has more or less expunged the conclusions it reached in that resolution. And today it is a body that people somehow regard with concern. Wondering what it will do and how. This actually shows that nobody trusts this body. The political rulership says, ‘Come what may, we’ll sort it out through duress.’ While the other crowd looks on saying, ‘A trick will be pulled.’”
Discussing security in elections in Turkey from 1950 until today, Kazan made the following points: “Such concoctions as ‘ballot slips turned up in the garbage’ have always been made. I have never believed any such stuff until today. And I have always said that elections in Turkey have been equipped with a system that is as secure as can be. This is really how it is. A law was made in 1950 that could be considered a risk for Turkey. And its implementation until today has brought significant gains. For some time, as the judiciary has gradually been rendered dependent, these things have been done away with step by step. With the law manhandled and amended in a night raid prior to the 24 June elections, the ballot boxes were actually handed over to the political rulership. In fact, in the system appearing in 1950, the parties were in the majority on polling station committees. The parties elected the chair, too, that is, they elected him or her themselves. But now the chair is a civil servant, and there is one more civil servant. If both are figures proximate to the AKP there is, in any case, a majority. The dominant group at every polling station is the political rulership. They are seeking ways to fix things higher up for what they couldn’t do at polling stations. It is apparent that the election councils, I speak with reference to information that has become public, I speak all-encompassingly, decide differently depending on the political parties’ situations. As I have not been able to see those decisions I am not in a position to hold a discussion. But, when the 2014 Ankara resolution and the 2019 İstanbul resolution are compared, I think I am in possession of enough knowledge. And I think the announcements that have been made are true. That is, it is apparent that party-based decisions are made. Unfortunately, this is the picture of the 2019 local elections paint.”
Responding when we recall ruling party proclamations, “We have cleaned out FETÖ,” Kazan commented: “Nobody has set about cleaning out FETÖ. Those with money get off. They protect those on their side, but they grab those they want to destroy by the scruff of the neck and take them away. Here, too, by wielding that brand they use it as a form of electoral fraud. Who could be more FETÖist than Fettah Tamince? The president’s lawyers were Fettah Tamince’s lawyers in Antalya and İstanbul. Tamince participated along with the president at the Atatürk Cultural Centre (ACC) foundation ceremony. The president introduced him, saying he was making the ACC.”
(Translated by Tim Drayton)
Bülent Falakaoğlu
Hakkı Özdal
