Thousands of voters punished
Thousands of voters punished
More than 55,000 voters in the Kurdish city of Yuksekova in Turkey have been sanctioned by the Election Commission and fined TL 22 (10 euros) each. On 12 September, 98% of voters followed the call of the BDP, the main Kurdish party, and boycotted the referendum on the Constitution.
The Electoral Commission of Yuksekova district of Hakkari, near the Iraqi border, sanctioned a total of 55,055 people, or 98% of voters, for a total sum of 1,211,210 TL as a fine for "failure to comply with the obligation to vote " in the referendum on the constitution initiated by the government of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Only 1,534 voters had gone to the polls in that city.
COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT
Yuksekova, one of the strongholds of the Party for Peace and Democracy (BDP), is the only city where the electoral punishment procedure has been implemented. No proceedings were brought against voters in other districts such as Semdinli and Cukurca in the province of Hakkari, which indicates a collective punishment of the population of Yuksekova by the Turkish government.
11,164,000 voters were not at the polls in Turkey and over 50% of the electorate boycotted the referendum in cities where the BDP topped the poll in the last election in 2009. The BDP was the only party that called for a clear boycott in protest against the refusal of the State to recognize the Kurdish identity.
Regarded as the "Constitution of the People" by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the text of the new constitutional reforms did not meet any of the Kurdish demands, including recognition of the Kurdish identity, the teaching in the mother tongue and the reform of the electoral threshold of 10%, the notorious obstacle to Kurdish representation.
A CITY IN THE LINE OF FIRE
Hakkari province is a target of the government since the mass boycott with 93%. "We will work to Sirnak and Hakkari particular" the Turkish prime minister declared on 16 September, four days after the referendum and the Minister of the Interior Besir Atalay spoke of a "comprehensive strategy" during his visit these two cities in response to the declaration of Erdogan.
THE PENALTY WILL NEVER FORCE US DOWN ON OUR KNEES
Selahattin Demirtas, co-chairman of the BDP, has called on voters to take Yuksekova to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), alleging a "scandal". He said that the boycott is a democratic right to be "yes" and "no. "
Recalling that the AKP had distributed "macaroni" in cities where people were expected to vote, but imposed the penalty on regions where people responded to the boycott call, Demirtas said that a fine of TL 22 will never force the people of Yuksekova to get down on their knees. "The sanction of 55,000 people for merely making use of the right (to boycott) is a great injustice," he said.
The Electoral Commission of Yuksekova district of Hakkari, near the Iraqi border, sanctioned a total of 55,055 people, or 98% of voters, for a total sum of 1,211,210 TL as a fine for "failure to comply with the obligation to vote " in the referendum on the constitution initiated by the government of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Only 1,534 voters had gone to the polls in that city.
COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT
Yuksekova, one of the strongholds of the Party for Peace and Democracy (BDP), is the only city where the electoral punishment procedure has been implemented. No proceedings were brought against voters in other districts such as Semdinli and Cukurca in the province of Hakkari, which indicates a collective punishment of the population of Yuksekova by the Turkish government.
11,164,000 voters were not at the polls in Turkey and over 50% of the electorate boycotted the referendum in cities where the BDP topped the poll in the last election in 2009. The BDP was the only party that called for a clear boycott in protest against the refusal of the State to recognize the Kurdish identity.
Regarded as the "Constitution of the People" by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the text of the new constitutional reforms did not meet any of the Kurdish demands, including recognition of the Kurdish identity, the teaching in the mother tongue and the reform of the electoral threshold of 10%, the notorious obstacle to Kurdish representation.
A CITY IN THE LINE OF FIRE
Hakkari province is a target of the government since the mass boycott with 93%. "We will work to Sirnak and Hakkari particular" the Turkish prime minister declared on 16 September, four days after the referendum and the Minister of the Interior Besir Atalay spoke of a "comprehensive strategy" during his visit these two cities in response to the declaration of Erdogan.
THE PENALTY WILL NEVER FORCE US DOWN ON OUR KNEES
Selahattin Demirtas, co-chairman of the BDP, has called on voters to take Yuksekova to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), alleging a "scandal". He said that the boycott is a democratic right to be "yes" and "no. "
Recalling that the AKP had distributed "macaroni" in cities where people were expected to vote, but imposed the penalty on regions where people responded to the boycott call, Demirtas said that a fine of TL 22 will never force the people of Yuksekova to get down on their knees. "The sanction of 55,000 people for merely making use of the right (to boycott) is a great injustice," he said.
