Turkey referendum did not live up to Council of Europe standards, observer mission says
Source: Reuters
Mon Apr 17, 2017 | 9:53am EDT
Turkey's referendum did not live up to standards set by the Council of Europe, a representative from the European human rights organization's observer mission said on Monday, citing an inadequate legal framework and late changes in ballot counting.
Turks on Sunday voted by a narrow 51.4 percent margin to change their constitution and grant President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers. The main opposition party has demanded the result be nullified, saying the voting was marred by irregularities.
Cezar Florin Preda, head of the delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that monitored the vote, made the comments at news conference in Ankara. Turkey is a member of the Council of Europe.
Preda was joined by Tana de Zulueta, head of another team of international observers, who said the referendum fell short of international standards.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-politics-referendum-observers-idUSKBN17J0Z5?il=0
Mon Apr 17, 2017 | 9:53am EDT
Turkish economic weakness exposed in post-referendum data
Turkish unemployment hit a seven-year peak in early 2017 while the budget deficit rose, data showed on Monday, underlining the economic challenges facing the country a day after its social divisions were laid bare in a referendum.
Turks narrowly voted on Sunday in favor of constitutional changes granting sweeping powers to President Tayyip Erdogan. He has cast the reforms as necessary in part to boost the country's economic development.
Hours after the referendum result, Statistics Institute figures showed the unemployment rate reached 13 percent in the three months to February, from 12.7 percent in the three months to January and 11.1 percent a year earlier.
"Syrian refugees, higher number of bankruptcies, slower economy, public sector lay-offs...and stress on the tourism sector showed its impact on the figures," said BGC Partners chief economist Ozgur Altug.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-politics-economy-idUSKBN17J0TE?il=0
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