Robust salvo from Selin Sayek Böke: The referendum is null

Republican People’s Party Deputy General Chair and Party Spokesperson Selin Sayek Böke spoke about the agenda of the Central Executive Committee meeting and the non-final referendum results.
THE REFERENDUM HELD ON 16 APRIL IS NULL. OUR WILL HAS BEEN USURPED

Böke said, ‘The referendum did not result in ‘yes’ and no constitutional amendment has taken place. The referendum held on 16 April is null. This was a blatant ‘stampless’ poll. At every stage of the referendum, resort was made to all manner of cheating and fraud. The endeavour was made to obtain the result, which was not obtained with the people’s vote, through a series of frauds by means facilitated by the Supreme Election Council and organised with these means. This referendum is not even tainted or disputed. This referendum is clearly illegal. It is illegitimate and invalid. Millions who went to the polls in the face of intimidation of all kinds, the millions who voted without engaging in any fraud and with their consciences saw these valuable votes that they had cast stolen in a fraudulently engineered fait accompli. What was stolen was the national will. Our will has been usurped.’
WE DO NOT RECOGNISE THIS REFERENDUM RESULT THAT WAS PROCLAIMED. NOR WILL WE DO SO.

Böke commented, ‘Resort was made to all manner of fraud and cheating to turn the ‘no’ result into ‘yes’. A perception management operation is being conducted with fraud and hasty balcony speeches. You can never hide the truth with this. The millions and we will not permit this. We do not recognise this referendum result that was proclaimed. Nor will we do so. We bear responsibility for the bold millions that went to the polls in the face of difficulties, duress and intimidation of all kinds and voted honestly. We are also aware that we bear this responsibility.’

WE WILL NEVER PERMIT OUR WILL TO BE STOLEN IN A FAIT ACCOMPLI

Böke said, ‘I call out from here to the millions who are standing up for their votes: we will all stand in unison and defend everybody’s votes until the end come what may. We will never permit our will to be stolen in a fait accompli. This referendum must be repeated in a way that permits this will to prevail.’

IF ANYBODY THINKS THAT WE WILL TAKE A STEP BACK, THEY ARE VERY MUCH MISTAKEN

Böke said, ‘If anybody thinks that we will take a step back and continue on our way, deeming the illegitimate to be legitimate, they are very much mistaken.
This referendum will be repeated. We will not act as if a non-existent new constitution existed. We will not be part of this game. We will not bow to faits accomplis.’

INCLUDED WITHIN THE RIGHTS WE WILL EXERCISE ARE BOTH WITHDRAWING FROM PARLIAMENT AND ALSO CONTINUING TO WORK IN PARLIAMENT

Böke commented, ‘Let nobody have the slightest doubt that we will make recourse to all legal means and all manner of legitimate democratic rights and will also do this on behalf of the millions. Turkey has stood up for democracy. The millions and we will continue to do so. We will exercise all our democratic rights and this includes both withdrawing from parliament and also continuing to work in parliament. We will deliberate on all of this in our committee, but we will take the correct step that will permit us to stand up for the popular will and we will without fail make democracy prevail in Turkey. Our competent committees will start to hold detailed meetings in the coming days so as to deliberate on these things. We will not be party to any step that will legitimise an illegitimate result.’

THE DECISION TO BE TAKEN BY THE SEC TODAY ON THE OBJECTIONS

Asked about the decision that the Supreme Electoral Council is to take today, Böke said, ‘it is incorrect to make a comment before the decision emerges. Our expectations are clear. We expect a legal order and democracy that will permit the people’s will to prevail. It was with this expectation that we submitted our application and we will continue to take all steps to give realisation to this expectation.’

IF YOU TELL OSCE OBSERVERS ‘KNOW YOUR PLACE,’ THIS IS TANTAMOUNT TO CONFESSION OF YOUR GUILT

Asked about the ruling party’s criticism of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)’s preliminary report, Böke commented, ‘Turkey has been holding elections for years. This is the first time that the legitimacy of a poll has become disputed on both the national and international plane. Nobody has the right to make Turkey endure this. The OSCE observers came at the invitation of those who govern Turkey. If you tell them, ‘Know your place,’ this is tantamount to confession of your guilt. We need to treasure democracy in Turkey, not to tell anybody to know their place.’

THE SOLE THING THAT WE MUST OBEY IS DEMOCRACY

Asked about Prime-Minister Binali Yıldırım's comment today on the referendum addressed to the CHP, Böke said, ‘The sole thing that we must obey is democracy. Today, millions are articulating the comment that the result is illegitimate. This is not a political party issue. This of now is a struggle waged jointly with the millions to prevent the votes of millions from being usurped.’

YOU BUY A NATIONAL LOTTERY TICKET. IF THERE IS NO STAMP ON ITS REAR, IT IS NOT A TICKET.

Böke commented, ‘You buy a national lottery ticket. If there is no stamp on its rear, it is not a ticket. You speak of the will of the people and you call a piece of paper lacking a stamp on the rear the will of the people. This is to deny the existence of the millions who stood firm against all the duress. This is what we must stand up for.’

AS SOON AS THE REPORTS CAME IN, OUR OFFICIALS MADE CONTACT WITH THE SUPREME ELECTION COUNCIL AS OF NINE IN THE MORNING

Böke commented, ‘As soon as the reports came in, our officials made contact with the Supreme Election Council as of nine in the morning. Reports began to come in to the CHP from schools numbering in the tens of thousands from all over Turkey that there were unstamped votes. Our officials immediately notified the Supreme Election Council. These were steps that the official bodies to which the political parties applied to had not taken until the political parties made this move. On that day, we did not just vote, but did all that was called for to stand by our vote. This is what we will also continue to do.’

WE WILL GIVE VOICE TO OUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS, IF NEED BE, FROM THE ROSTRUM, AND, IF NEED BE, IN SPACES WHERE WE HAVE CONGREGATED

Böke replied as follows to a question as to whether the referendum protests were on the agenda at the Central Executive Committee, ‘We spoke about the referendum and the fraudulent acts that were committed. Most distressingly, the Prime-Minister is also venturing to destroy democracy. Everyone who opposes the citizens and politicians who are exercising their democratic rights in opposition to this venture to destroy democracy and are standing up for this democracy is a partner in this destruction. We will give voice to our democratic rights, if need be, from the rostrum, if need be, in local coffee shops, and, if need be, in spaces where we have congregated. Those who are saddened by this stance that stands up for this democratic right are those who are endeavouring to destroy democracy. And we are saddened by such comments’

TO SEE THE REFERENDUM RESULT AS BEING LIKE A FOOTBALL MATCH IS A SHALLOW PERCEPTION

Asked about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's comparing the non-final referendum result to a ‘match score,’ Böke commented, ‘This statement is a most unfortunate statement. This statement shows yet again that the political perception that divides and disperses society has been reinforced and carries on. To see it as being like a football match is a shallow perception. The issue is the issue of Turkey. Turkey must wage a struggle that it will win. The president’s statement is a confession once more that he does not see the issue as being the issue of Turkey but as a party issue. We will continue to say ‘no’ to this perception that, along with dividing, dispersing and polarising Turkey, charts out a future in which we fight one another rather than live together.’