Turkish citizens in Germany go to top court to cancel foreign voting plans

Oya Armutçu ANKARA

Three Turkish citizens living in Germany have applied to the Turkish Constitution Court, complaining that the Aug. 10 presidential elections will violate their right to vote and saying the vote count is unlikely to be secure.

Some 2.75 million Turkish citizens abroad will be eligible to vote in the countries where they reside for the first time ever. However, the applicants to the top court claim that a sound vote-counting process will not be possible and is against international law. Particular concern is expressed about the fact that ballot boxes will be flown to Turkey before being counted.

Paving the way to allow citizens living abroad to vote in Turkish elections is a positive development, the application said, but it stressed that democracy did not only amount to “votes by the people.”

“A sound, trustable counting of votes, which is the reflection of the people’s will, is an unarguable condition,” it added, calling for a cancellation of the foreign voting plans.

Germany alone is home to around 1.35 million potential Turkish voters.