(Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Images)Turkey’s main opposition party on Monday demanded the annulment of a vote that delivered sweeping new powers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying widespread irregularities during the balloting had undermined its legitimacy. Erdogan and his supporters in the Islamist Justice and Development Party called the vote peaceful and fair, and dismissed claims about possible voting flaws as a distraction. Before the referendum, Erdogan had leveled sharp criticism against Europe — including labeling some countries as Nazis — for halting political events among the millions of Turks living on the continent. [How Erdogan has reshaped Turkey, as told by readers]Erdogan’s most loyal supporters insisted that the referendum vote went beyond the details of the changes and amounted to a verdict on the president’s record. He also successfully courted a segment of a Turkish nationalist party whose members helped propel the constitutional amendments through the parliament.

Source: Washington Post April 17, 2017 07:04 UTC