QA-22, 3 April 2019, Statement of the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Hami Aksoy in Response to a Question Regarding the Statement of the Spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State on the Local Elections in Turkey

Turkey is a democratic state governed by the rule of law. The local elections on 31 March were conducted peacefully in a democratic and transparent atmosphere. It is essential that voter’s will is reflected in the polls and everyone should respect the legal and democratic efforts made in this context.

The source of legitimacy of the elections is the people’s will. The Supreme Election Council is the sole authority to determine how this will is manifested at the polls, and evaluate and finalize the process in relation to the objections.

No country has the authority to intervene in the election results of another country in a manner against law and democracy and to regard itself as the source of legitimacy of the results. Anti-democratic approaches and habits, cannot, in any way, overshadow Turkey’s democratic maturity.

Turkish people demonstrated their commitment to democracy through a high turnout on 31 March local elections. On the other hand, people’s choice in favour of stability and trust has also been confirmed by the poll results.