The Italian delegation that went to Turkey to follow the elections on 24 June, has returned to Italy and has released a press comment about their visit and work.

“The presence of international observers - said the delegation - allowed the verification of the numerous violations of the exercise of the right to vote, made with the use of the army and the police to intimidate the voters inside the polling stations and the threats practiced by people qualified as representatives of the Erdogan's party that intimidated those who went to the polling stations, snatching out the ballots and using them to vote for them”.

The delegation witnessed these violations in “many seats in the Diyarbakir Province, where some representatives of our delegation found themselves discussing with the presidents of the seats in the Kulp area, where they found many soldiers present inside the seats, even armed, something forbidden by the electoral law, voted in March 2018, which forbid the presence of police and army near polling stations except in very serious cases of violation of the public order.”

According to the delegation the work of international observers has been “effective, thanks to the presence, provided for each group that attended the polling stations of lawyers representing the lists of the HDP. Soldiers were removed, but in other polling stations, it was learned later, many people have been threatened and many representatives of the international delegations were not allowed inside.”

All violations have been reported to the Supreme Electoral Committee and the results of such complaints are expected.

The delegation said that “the role of the HDP is very important in the Parliament where it will carry out the fight against the abuses and the daily denunciation of the systematic violence of the Erdogan regime.”

The HDP members met by the Italian delegation after the election day, stigmatized the intervention of the Greek leader, often praised by the new "left", Tzipras, who has congratulated Erdogan for the conduct of the election campaign and voting operations that he called "democratic".

Khalid Ibrahim, head of HDP foreign affairs department thanked the presence of the Italian delegation and the other numerous delegations from many European countries.