Sütun 1
Sütun 2
Sütun 3
Medya News
Daily News
Breaking News
Subscribe
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • INTERVIEW
  • More
    • SPECIAL REPORTS
    • ECOLOGY
    • WORLD
    • AUDIO ARTICLES
    • JOURNALISM
    • ECONOMY
    • CULTURE & ART
    • LONG READS
    • NEWSLETTER
    • DAILY NEWS
MULTIMEDIA
PODCAST
LIVE BLOG
  • Home
  • All News
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • INTERVIEW
  • More
    • SPECIAL REPORTS
    • ECOLOGY
    • WORLD
    • AUDIO ARTICLES
    • JOURNALISM
    • ECONOMY
    • CULTURE & ART
    • LONG READS
    • NEWSLETTER
    • DAILY NEWS
MULTIMEDIA
PODCAST
No Result
View All Result
Medya News

Questions surround Turkish elections as experts highlight suspicious voting trends

In a recent article, former Pentagon official Michael Rubin wrote that Turkey’s election data suggested illegitimacy of Erdoğan's victory. Rubin disagrees with the interpretation that Erdoğan's failure to win in the first round was a silver lining and recalls Iran, where second round elections are common, saying that the fact that elections do not end in the first round is not a sign of democracy.

3:00 pm 25/05/2023
A A
Questions surround Turkish elections as experts highlight suspicious voting trends
Share post

The integrity of Turkey’s 14 May elections remains a subject of concern as the country prepares for the run-off presidential election. Observers and experts are calling for increased scrutiny and safeguards to maintain the transparency and fairness of the democratic process.

Nearly six million unexplained votes

The unexplained, abnormal number of votes cast in polling stations in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority eastern and southeastern provinces was a reflection of the presence of law-enforcement officers at polling stations, said Birol Aydemir, chief adviser to the leader of the centre-right opposition Good Party (İYİP).

Sharing his extensive study of the 14 May elections, Aydemir argued that results in 22,000 ballot boxes covering nearly six million votes were suspicious, and said that three per cent of incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s votes remained unexplained.

Aydemir’s analysis further indicated that the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), a part of the ruling bloc, received a vote share ten points higher than the provincial average in 10,785 ballot boxes. These questionable votes allegedly contributed to a 0.66 per cent increase in the MHP’s national vote.

According to Aydemir, votes meant for the pro-Kurdish Green Left Party were redirected to the MHP. Additionally, in 1,644 ballot boxes, votes initially intended for the opposition’s joint presidential candidate, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, were allegedly transferred to Muharrem İnce, who had declared his de facto withdrawal prior to the election.

To address these concerns, Aydemir urged the opposition to gain control over the 22,000 polling stations where suspicious cases were observed and recommended the assignment of lawyers to ensure security at these locations. He emphasised that winning the upcoming run-off presidential election on 28 May would require controlling the polls and stationing observers at polling stations.

Run-off does not signify democracy: Michael Rubin

In a recent article, Michael Rubin, a former Pentagon official and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), also expressed doubts regarding Erdoğan’s votes in the Turkish elections. Rubin disagreed with the interpretation that Erdoğan’s failure to win in the first round could be viewed as a silver lining, citing Iran as an example where run-off votes are common. He argued that the absence of a first-round win does not signify democratic progress.

Rubin highlighted that this year’s registered voters reached 64 million, compared to 59 million in 2018. Considering the number of deceased individuals since 2018 and the addition of six million new first-time voters, there appeared to be three million more voters than expected. Rubin contended that many of these additional voters were Syrians who acquired Turkish citizenship but did not speak Turkish, which resulted in their exclusion from pre-election polls which mostly showed Kılıçdaroğlu ahead.

However, he adds that the Syrians to whom the Turkish government granted citizenship and therefore voting rights did not represent the entire Syrian population in Turkey: “no Kurds, Yezidis, or Alawites, for example, nor those more inclined to laicism. Rather, the sole beneficiaries of Erdoğan’s passport largesse have been Sunni Syrian Islamists whose views of religious and politics mirror Erdoğan’s own.”

Statistical analysis indicates two million abnormal votes

Polimetre, a research company, also conducted a statistical analysis of the recent elections and concluded that over 1.65 million “abnormal” votes were cast for Erdoğan in the parliamentary elections. Based on data from the last six elections, Polimetre’s research suggested that Erdoğan’s vote share exceeded expectations.

For instance, in Hatay, an earthquake-hit province, Polimetre’s statistical analysis indicated that Erdoğan should have received a maximum of 42.9 per cent of the vote. However, he obtained 48 per cent on 14 May.

In Adıyaman (Semsur), another quake-hit province, the election result that was predicted to have been below 59.6 per cent reached 66.2 per cent. In Ağrı (Agiri), the vote share expected to have have been below 18.4 per cent reached 31.7 per cent.

The study by Polimetre revealed that Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, had the highest number of abnormal votes, followed by the Kurdish-majority southeastern provinces of Diyarbakır (Amed), Şanlıurfa (Riha), and Van (Wan). The concentration of abnormal votes in Kurdish cities, where the Green Left Party holds influence, was notable. In contrast, 28 provinces exhibited no abnormal votes, aligning with the analysis data, and were predominantly located in Central Anatolia, a stronghold of the AKP.

Polimetre estimated that approximately two million votes cast for Erdoğan were anomalous. The company emphasised the necessity of taking measures to ensure ballot security, particularly in the 104 districts it labelled as “black holes.”


Share post
Tags: TrendingTurkey

Related Posts

Pro-Kurdish DEM Party MP Temelli demands urgent reform for prisons and the disappeared

Pro-Kurdish DEM Party MP Temelli demands urgent reform for prisons and the disappeared

May 22, 2025
Daily News : 22 May 2025

Daily News : 22 May 2025

May 22, 2025
Erdoğan addresses new constitution talks, clarifies that he has no intention of being re-elected

Erdoğan addresses new constitution talks, clarifies that he has no intention of being re-elected

May 22, 2025
Is time running out for Syria? The truth behind Rubio’s message

Is time running out for Syria? The truth behind Rubio’s message

May 22, 2025
Calls grow to recognise Circassian Genocide after 161 years

Calls grow to recognise Circassian Genocide after 161 years

May 22, 2025
Daily News : 21 May 2025

Daily News : 21 May 2025

May 21, 2025

The news content on our website cannot be quoted without permission, even by citing the source. It cannot be copied or published elsewhere, contrary to the law or without permission.

Follow Medya News

Categories

  • All News
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Opinion
  • Kurdistan
  • Human Rights
  • Interview
  • Women
  • Audio Articles
  • Special Report

Quick Menu

  • Daily News
  • Live Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Breaking News

About

Impressum

About us

Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT

Add New Playlist

[email-subscribers-form id=”1″]

Contact

[contact-form-7 id=”18690″ title=”Contact form 1″]

No Result
View All Result
  • All News
  • Kurdistan
  • Women
  • Politics
  • Human Rights
  • Interview
  • Long Reads
  • World
  • Journalism
  • Ecology
  • Economy
  • Culture & Art
  • Daily News
  • Breaking News
  • Newsletter
  • Opinion
  • Authors
  • Podcast
  • LIVE BLOG

© 2020 Medyanews. All Rights Reserved