Armed AKP MP fills ballot box with 'Yes' votes in Suruç

AKP parliamentarian İbrahim Yıldız and armed men near him were recorded as they raided a polling station, a school, and filled a ballot box with 'Yes' votes in Suruç during Sunday's referendum.

As debates continue on Turkish Supreme Election Board's (YSK) decision to declare unstamped votes as valid, a video footage showing AKP parliamentarian İbrahim Halil Yıldız and 20 other armed men from his tribe raid a polling station, a school, in Suruç and fill a ballot box with 'Yes' votes during Sunday's referendum has emerged.

 

 

The 27 second-long footage recorded secretly shows Yıldız a group of armed men near him arrive at the ballot box no 1180 in a classroom at Hacı Mahmut Yavuz Anatolian High School in Suruç and move the polling observers from the ballot box.

In the footage, a woman with a headscarf believed to be ballot official objects to the AKP parliamentarian but someone else is heard saying 'Go out.' Afterwards, the woman sits down and begins to watch the acts of the AKP's parliament member.

Afterwards, the AKP deputy tells something to another polling observer as one of Yıldız's armed men inspects the ballot box and requests envelopes. The same man later moves towards the classroom door and tells the civilians waiting in line for voting to 'get out' and the video recording ends there.

A resident who voted at that ballot box said the ballot official told the armed men that she was an AKP member too she intervened in the situation because what they were doing was illegal. This woman was therewith scolded by the armed group. Another observer was pushed towards the window and the ballot official could do nothing.

According to the eyewitness, the AKP MP and a man near them filled the ballot with fake 'Yes' marked ballots they had brought with them, and took the 'Choice' stamp used by voters at the ballot with them as they left the classroom. Lastly, the witness stated that one of Yıldız's armed men said "Let's put 100 more. Don't worry, nothing will happen."

On the referendum day, HDP MP İbrahim Ayhan also denounced fraud in Suruç district of Urfa. Accordingly, 360 voters were registered for the ballot box no 1184 at the GAP Anatolian High School which was also visited by AKP MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız and his armed men on Sunday. 240 people cast their votes here, as was proven by the number of signatures put after voting, but over 400 ballots were taken out of the box once the voting finished. In addition, there were 300 unused envelopes (in which ballots are put after the cast of vote).

Moreover, HDP lawyers that submitted an objection to Suruç District Election Board handed in fake ballots discovered in polling stations as evidence.