18 April 2017•Update: 18 April 2017
ISTANBUL
The Council of Europe should apologize to Turkey for sending a biased observer to monitor Sunday’s referendum in the country, head of the Turkish parliament’s Human Rights Commission said on Tuesday.
Mustafa Yeneroglu told Anadolu Agency in Istanbul: “The OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] report, announced by a German lawmaker Andrej Hunko who is known for his pro-PKK stance, including support for [the terror group’s] activities and even financial support -- we have documents on this -- shows how it [the report] is frivolous and political.”
On Monday, the OSCE claimed a “lack of equal opportunities, one-sided media coverage and limitations on fundamental freedoms” had created an “uneven playing field” in Turkey’s constitutional referendum.
Yeneroglu also criticized the report stating that there were problematic expressions and approaches in the report such as “equating ‘No’ supporters with terror.”
“This report should be rejected,” he said.
The head of the commission also urged the Council of Europe to apologize to Turkey for the report since “it sent such an observer, who is biased and a terror supporter.”
On Monday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also slammed the report, saying it presented biased viewpoints.
On Sunday, a majority of Turkish voters cast their ballots in favor of 18 constitutional amendments set to, among other things, see Turkey switch from a parliamentary to a presidential system of governance.
Andrej Hunko was a member of a 23-person joint OSCE-Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation sent to Turkey to observe the constitutional referendum last Sunday.
Hunko was sharply criticized as he posed while holding up a flag of the terrorist PKK.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU. During its over 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, more than 40,000 people have lost their lives.
*Reporting by Sefa Mutlu; Writing by Nilay Kar
