Turkish elections underscore positive record and continuing challenges, OSCE finds

ANKARA, 23 July 2007 - The electoral process in Turkey is characterized by pluralism and a high level of public confidence underscored by the transparent, professional and efficient performance of the election administration, an OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) Election Assessment Mission said today.

The OSCE/ODIHR mission noted that the overall legislative framework would benefit from review in order to further promote respect for fundamental civil and political rights. Accountability of the process could be further enhanced by adopting provisions for regulating campaign financing and by providing the possibility for appeals to decisions of the Supreme Board of Elections.

These are the preliminary findings of the Election Assessment Mission deployed by the OSCE/ODIHR at the invitation of the Turkish authorities to assess the electoral environment and procedures for the 22 July Turkish Grand National Assembly elections.

The registration of political parties and candidates, including a high number of independent candidates, was generally inclusive, but the participation of women as candidates remained low. The campaign was dynamic and voters were offered a genuine choice. The media provided broadly equitable opportunities for election contestants to communicate their campaign messages. Nevertheless, the legal framework, including media regulatory provisions, still constrains freedom of expression.

The OSCE/ODIHR mission noted efforts to enhance the participation of Turkish citizens of Kurdish origin in political life. The legislation, however, continues to prohibit the use of languages other than Turkish in the election campaign.

The mission also assessed the system for allocation of seats in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The 10 percent threshold for political party representation is unusually high and remains the highest in the OSCE region.

Despite the absence of legal provisions for domestic and international observation, which is inconsistent with OSCE commitments, the mission was granted access to all levels of the election administration, including polling stations on election day.

The OSCE/ODIHR mission, headed by Julian Peel Yates, began on 25 June and consisted of 15 international election analysts from 14 OSCE participating States. The mission deployed to 25 provinces of Turkey to meet representatives of the authorities and the election administration, political parties and candidates, and civil society. The mission also included a media monitoring component.

On election day, the mission visited a limited number of polling stations in the provinces of Adana, Ankara, Diyarbakir, Istanbul and Van, but no systematic observation of polling and counting procedures was conducted.

The OSCE/ODIHR will continue to follow the election process and will publish its Final Report, including recommendations for possible improvements, following its conclusion.

The OSCE/ODIHR would like to thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and the Supreme Board of Elections, as well as provincial and district election boards, political parties, civil society organizations, and media for their co-operation during the course of the mission.

For further information contact:
Jonathan Stonestreet, OSCE/ODIHR Election Adviser, mobile +48 607 500 099, jonathan.stonestreet@odihr.pl
Sarah Crozier, OSCE/ODIHR Public Affairs Unit, mobile +48 603 793 787, sarah.crozier@odihr.pl

Information about previous OSCE/ODIHR election reports on Turkey is available at www.osce.org/odihr-elections/14656.html.