A historic referendum on the way the country will be governed has been stained by a YSK intervention that turned the result on its head. This scandal, on top of the polarisation and the mounting reaction, led to the response of the people; in defence of their votes, people continue to say no to “One Man Rule”. This referendum is void and should be annulled. It is best to stand with demands of work, peace and democracy against those dividing the people with threats and oppression in the name of the Presidential system.
The fact that the choice in the referendum between ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ was on a knife edge – even under unequal and unjust conditions and under conditions of State of Emergency (OHAL) and oppression – led to the intervention and fraud. This intervention was by the High Electoral Board (YSK), which is required to be neutral but acted like an organ of the government.
The YSK decision before the voting had ended – with AKP’s demand and against definitive judgement in law – to accept unstamped votes legitimised fraud and hijacking. As if that was not enough, all opposition and demands for annulment have been refused by YSK; the referendum results damaged and its legality disputable, are trumpeted as the success of the ‘Yes’ camp.
The level of government oppression, leading even the YSK to act unlawfully, deepened the crisis of public trust in the government and the rule of law. The fraud and intervention in the referendum, disrespecting the will of the country, did not go down well with those voting ‘Yes’ but not party to the hijacking, a victory has not been felt.
Frenzied projects, promises and referendum bribes, the burden of which are borne by the public, have not transferred into votes this time round. The exhaustive use of ideological-political dispositions and scaremongering aiming to divide and polarise workers in production and living spheres such as external enemies, terror, military coup, religious-sectarian enmity, racism, etc.; the use of these as a means of propaganda to crush democratic opposition on the streets; neither of these have led to the desired result. Those that insist on the Presidency regime and the continuation of the 15-year rule have also been politically defeated.
In industrial and trading cities where modern life, class relations and conflicts are dominant, starting with Istanbul – where they held in power since 1994 – the ‘No’ vote won. AKP and MHP have lost serious number of votes in all Metropoles where they previously held a big share of the vote.
Consequently, Erdoğan, the AKP Government and the capital that backs them did not get the support among the urban workers, youth and women; despite their efforts to entice their votes.
Faced with this scene, the head of the state, constantly talking about ‘the will of the people’, having declared the opposition as enemies, clearly stated his intention to continue lawlessness, arbitrariness and aggressive politics with his statement of “It’s too late in the day”. The extension of OHAL and reminders of arrangements for capital punishment, as an instrument to discipline and threaten all sectors of the public, are an expression of this aggression.
The unemployment rate of 25% among the youth defending the No vote on the streets, reaching 13% countrywide; price increases and the poverty economics growing with belt-tightening policies; millions of workers and public workers subjected to worsening working and living conditions, mainly through removal of rights such as pay scales and job security; the Kurdish population and their demands of a shared democratic life, subjected to conditions of war and punishment in an attempt to silence and push them outside of the political scene; the parliamentary front, potent for new political crises in the period of adjustment laws; prejudice against 3.5 million refugee workers trying to survive but seen as a burden on the country; a Turkish population with increased worries, insecurities and anger.
This shows that we are entering the post-referendum period with lots of problems as a country and people. Developments show that workers, labourers, women and the youth will need to struggle under harsher conditions. Therefore, we need to raise the struggle for economic, social, democratic rights and political freedoms.
The referendum results that ignore the people’s will must be annulled. We need to work for a democratic constitution that involves the demands of the people, that is inclusive and prepared by a founding parliament. Hence, we need to raise protests in the streets and our democratic opposition to stop those that intervened fraudulently and hijacked the results, those that made a referendum lost look like a referendum won.
We need to carry this struggle to May Day, the International unity, struggle and solidarity day of the working class. We must celebrate May Day 2017 widely with the demand of “Work, Bread and freedom against War, Exploitation and Oppression”.
We need to carry the unity of Labour, peace and democratic forced to the squares on May Day