Turkey’s opposition accused the government of trying to influence next week’s election with a request for new data from the electoral watchdog.
(Bloomberg) — Turkey’s opposition accused the government of trying to influence next week’s election with a request for new data from the electoral watchdog.
Tolga Ozturk, an observer on the Supreme Election Council who represents the opposition IYI Party, said the Interior Ministry made the request — which was rejected — for data including ballot box locations to create a heavy police presence that would “sow doubt among voters that whatever they do, they can’t win.”
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu denied the allegations, saying the data was requested for a new online election monitoring system at his ministry ahead of the May 14 vote.
Last week Soylu accused the country’s broadest-ever opposition bloc of attempting to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a “political coup.” Erdogan is Turkey’s longest-serving leader and is running to extend his rule into a third decade.
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The ruling AK Party’s representative at the electoral board, Recep Ozel, also denied the opposition claims.
“The ministry has just demanded the number of ballot boxes, places of ballot stations and the number of voters,” Ozel said. “There was nothing problematic, but the electoral board denied the request on the grounds that the information can be obtained from the authorities in each electoral district.”
–With assistance from Selcan Hacaoglu.
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