Ali Seker, a member of parliament from the main opposition CHP party, told Halk TV on Sunday that he and opposition pollsters were attacked by a group after they complained of irregularities in a village in Turkey’s southeastern Sanliurfa province . CHP faction leader Ozgur Ozel said election observers had been beaten and their phones destroyed.
He called on the authorities to ensure security around the election. According to the Interior Ministry, more than 600,000 members of the police and other institutions are responsible for security.
Attacks on the opposition
According to media reports, there have also been incidents in Istanbul. Opposition members were allegedly attacked there in two districts. These reports cannot be independently verified either.
In the first round of presidential elections two weeks ago, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan narrowly missed an outright majority. Polls show he has an advantage over his opponent, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
Elections are generally considered free, but not fair. International election observers criticized the government’s excessive media presence after the first round.