Protesters took to the streets in Turkey on Monday less than one day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s power-extending referendum win. According to the Associated Press, hundreds of protesters were shouting “thief, murderer, Erdogan” while banging pots and pans.
“We are protesting today because the results announced by the government are not the real ones. Because actually the ‘no’ we voted won. But the government is announcing it as ‘yes’ has won,” said 35 year-old lawyer Damla Atalay, to the Associated Press.
The win was narrow, with 51.4% of voters reportedly voting “yes” to extend Erdogan’s power.
Associated Press reported that due to the unrest on Monday, Turkey’s Council of Ministers decided to extend Turkey’s current state of emergency for an additional three months. The current state of emergency was put in place following the attempted coup last July. Parliament will have to approve the extension request before it is final.
Erdogan referred to the referendum as “the most democratic election … ever seen in any Western country” in a speech to supporters at the Presidential Palace in Ankara.
However, according to Reuters, election observers from the Council of Europe said the vote took place on uneven grounds, as support for the "yes" vote had dominated media in the country and drowned out debate for the "no" vote. The group was also concerned that the election board accepted unstamped ballots, in violation of Turkish law.
Here are some photos from the demonstrations that took place in Turkey Monday, following the election results./p>
Anti-government protesters took to the streets in Istanbul on Monday, after the referendum results were finalized.
These protesters carried signs reading (L to R), "We do not recognize the High Electoral Board," "Solidarity against fascism," "We will not make you president."
Other protesters carried signs reading "NO" in Turkish at the demonstration in Istanbul.
Protesters in the street made noise by banging pots and pans and chanting.
A woman joins in the demonstrations.
Other protesters stood at their windows and banged pots and pans in support of the demonstration.
In the Kadikoy district of Istanbul, anti-government demonstrators lit flares.
While other parts of the country protested, Erdogan addressed his supporters at the Presidential Palace in Ankara on Monday.
Back in Istanbul, a man is stuck inside a Taxi with his daughter as crowds fill the streets.
Bad weather did not deter protesters in Istanbul, some of whom arrived with umbrellas.
Demonstrators marched through the streets of Istanbul shouting "thief, murderer, Erdogan."
Angry opposition groups vow they will challenge the referendum result.
