*Updated at 16:40 (CET)
Reports of voter intimidation and irregularities have surfaced at several polling stations across Turkey during Sunday’s elections.
Several incidents of election violations have been reported by Özgür Yeni Politika in the province of Batman (Êlih) during Turkey’s elections.
In Bıçakçı village, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) election officials removed a lawyer affiliated to the HÜDA-PAR (Free Cause Party), a party in alliance with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), from the polling station after he attempted to enter without proper credentials.
In Karpuzlu village, a group of five HÜDA-PAR members attempted to interfere with the voting process, claiming that women did not know how to vote and their ballots would be invalid. This prompted the gendarmes to intervene – but instead of taking action against the HÜDA-PAR members, they detained the HDP election officials who were protesting against this violation.
Additionally, Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP for Batman Ziver Özdemir and the head of a polling station in the province, interfered with an illiterate voter forcing them to recast their vote, although interference with any voter is strictly banned, illiterate or otherwise.
In Urfa’s Harran Minare Village, electoral officers who were members of the opposition were reportedly beaten, and footage of the incident has emerged. Republican People’s Party (CHP) MP for Istanbul Oğuz Kaan Salıcı, confirmed that the footage was taken in the village and stated that lawyers have lodged complaints. The incident is the latest in a series of reports of election irregularities and violence in Turkey’s local elections.
A video has been shared online showing someone stamping the voting slips of voters who have not attended to vote, at the same polling station. The video appears to suggest that someone is using their ballots.
In Cizre, villagers were allegedly threatened and told to vote for the ruling party AKP, while an international observer team was denied access to a polling station in Uludere. In another incident, state-sponsored village guards demanded that voters to show them photos of their ballots after they had cast their votes. Also, the governor of Şırnak reportedly ordered all polling station observers to leave Şırnak High School polling station. These incidents raise concerns about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process in the region.
In Mersin’s Akdeniz district, a sealed ballot box containing three voting papers was found in a classroom cubicle at the school being used as a polling station. The irregularity was reported to the relevant authorities. It is not yet clear who placed the ballots in the cubicle or whether they were cast illegally. The incident is being investigated, and the outcome will determine whether the affected votes will be invalidated.
