Farah Karimi, Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly following the elections, said that there are still concerns about the unequal conditions in the second round of the elections and the unfairness of the campaign.

Karimi added that Erdogan was taking advantage of the advantage of being still in office and said: “In the second round of the Presidency held on 28 May, voters were given the opportunity to choose between real political alternatives and there was a high turnout in the election. However, as in the first round of the election, biased media coverage and lack of equal conditions gave the ruling party an unfair advantage. The election board technically managed the contest effectively, but gaps in transparency and communication remained wide.”

Karimi continued: “During the calm but contentious campaign, the candidates were able to campaign freely. In an environment where freedom of expression was restricted, both private and public media could not ensure editorial independence and impartiality in their publications regarding the campaign. This reduced the ability of voters to make an informed choice. Election day was generally quiet. However, cases were noted where some procedures were incomplete, especially during vote counting.”