Turkish referendum ends in victory for ‘YES’

President hails ‘historic’ decision to safeguard nation’s future

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gives a speech during a press conference as the results of Turkey’s constitutional referendum show “Yes” votes ahead of “No” votes, at Turkish Presidency's Huber Mansion in İstanbul. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the “Yes” vote on the presidential system has resolved a 200-year-old conflict in its administration with the results in favor of a presidential system. It is “a major sign that our nation is safeguarding its future”, Erdoğan said in a post-referendum speech at Huber Palace in İstanbul.

“That decision was no ordinary one. Today is the day when a change, a decision to shift to a new administrative system was made,” Erdoğan said.

Erdoğan added 25 million “Yes” votes were cast with a 1.3-million vote margin of victory, according to results. “I would like to thank all our citizens, regardless of how they voted, who went to the polling stations to reflect their
national will.”

Erdoğan pointed out that Turkey “has the power to overcome all kinds of problems, difficulties and crises” and last July’s failed coup attempt was a clear example of it.
Erdoğan said Turkey changed its governmental system through civilian means for the first time in its republic history.

“For the first time in its history, Turkey has decided such an important change by the will of its national assembly and people,” Erdoğan said. “In the past, our constitutions and governmental systems formed by these [constitutions] had been decided either in extraordinary conditions like our independence war or by way of military interventions. For first time in the republic’s history, Turkey changed its administrative system through civilian means.”

THE REFERENDUM STRENGTHENED OUR PLURALIST DEMOCRACY

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım stated that the ballot boxes reflected the will of the nation with Turkish citizens opting to vet constitutional amendments as proposed. Highlighting the importance of the need to respect the will of the nation, Yıldırım added: "There is no losing side in this referendum. Supporters of Yes and No alike, are our own people. We respect their decisions. It is the Turkish nation that won. Democracy means pluralism, and the referendum strengthened our pluralist democracy. The referendum has taken place in a very calm and mature environment”.

WHAT THE REFERENDUM SAID: STABILITY, CONFIDENCE AND HOPE

President of the İstanbul Chamber of Commerce, İbrahim Çağlar, said the result of the April 16 referendum and vetting of the constitutional amendments by Turkish citizens will enable great changes for Turkey. Çağlar added: “The Yes vote, by a 1.3 mln majority, tells us three things: Stability, confidence and hope. It means no economic and political crises to be caused by coalition governments, thus a period of “stability” will commence. It means a Minister of Economy directly appointed by the President, thus; “confidence”. A single handed economic administration with a lesser bureaucratic burden will bring “hope”. We are brothers and sisters standing united, we will move closer to our targets as a one strong nation.”

01 Haziran 2017 Perşembe

Etiketler : English