March 31 assessment from European observers: 'The counting process...'
A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, invited to Turkey to observe the March 31 Local Elections, noted that the elections were organized professionally and that citizens went to the polls with a turnout of 78.5 percent.
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A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe was invited to Turkey to observe the Local Administration General Elections held on March 31, 2024.
The delegation, led by the Congress's rapporteur for Turkey, David Eray, and consisting of 19 Congress members, 1 expert, and 4 secretariat members, met with Supreme Election Council (YSK) Chairman Ahmet Yener before the elections to receive information regarding election legislation and practices.
Observers assigned by the Congress from 16 countries held meetings regarding the elections online on March 7-8 and in person in Ankara on March 29-30. During these meetings, the observers received information about the elections from Turkish authorities, non-governmental organizations, media representatives, candidates, and political party representatives.
OVER 140 BALLOT BOXES MONITORED
On election day, the observers monitored voting procedures at over 140 ballot boxes in various electoral districts across Turkey, including Ankara, Istanbul, and Diyarbakır.
In the assessment made by the observers following the election, it was emphasized that the election day was generally calm and that the election was organized in a professional manner.
The international observers' assessment also included findings that "citizens demonstrated a strong commitment to local representative democracy with a high turnout rate of 78.5 percent, the logistical organization allowed the process to proceed smoothly despite the large number of voters, and the counting process was generally transparent."