The European Union commented on the Turkish Supreme Election Council's decision to re-run elections in Istanbul.
EU High Representative Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner Johannes Hahn underlined in a statement that ensuring a free, fair and transparent election process is essential to any democracy and is at the heart of the European Union’s relations with Turkey.
In the statement it was stressed that it is important that the Istanbul election boards can carry out their work in an independent, open and transparent manner, and in compliance with international election norms and standards to guarantee the full credibility of the election process.
“The decisions by the Supreme Election Council to declare elected mayors and members of municipal councils ineligible to assume office in the south-east of Turkey – even though their candidacies had been checked and validated before the elections – and to give mayoral mandates to the candidates who got the second highest number of votes, go against the core aim of a democratic electoral process to ensure that the will of the people prevails," the statement reads.
"They also undermine the electoral process to which the Turkish people have shown their commitment by casting their votes in very large number as well as Turkey’s commitments as member of the Council of Europe,” the statement of the commissioners says.
In addition, the expressed hope that the Turkish authorities to extend their invitation to international observers to observe the re-run elections.
Turkey’s High Election Board has ordered a rerun of Istanbul’s mayoral elections, accepting the ruling AK Party’s objection 36 days after a stunning opposition victory in the country’s biggest city.
The new Istanbul mayoral contest will be held on June 23.
