Economics
Erdogan Says He Doesn’t Care What Europe Thinks About Turkey’s Vote
- Turkish leader dismisses all criticism of referendum fairness
- Continues on theme of lashing out at West since winning vote
Serious Problems to Come for Turkey, Says Former Lawmaker
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan treated a crowd of supporters gathered outside his presidential palace on Monday evening to a speech laced with invective against Europe, saying his victory in a referendum on Sunday took place under conditions that were democratic beyond compare.
Erdogan belittled both domestic and foreign critics of the voting process, which culminated in a slim majority of Turks approving changes to 18 articles of the constitution that concentrate more power in his hands. A monitoring group from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe -- which said the referendum took place on an "unlevel playing field" -- "should know its place," he said.