Civilians take action against unmarked vehicles at polls
NEWS DESK (DİHA) - With unmarked vehicles reported to be arriving at polling stations in countless provinces of Turkey, social media users are calling for mass action to puncture the tires of the vehicles.
Across Turkey, the same story has been coming in from elections observers: They see an unmarked car parked outside the polling station. Observers or voters ask the police who the car belongs to. Police reply, "us." When observers object to the fact that there is an unmarked vehicle parked at the polling station, police reluctantly put the plates back on. Most recently, in the Sultangazi area of Istanbul, observers claimed they saw black plastic bags in the trunk of the car. Social media users have called for those worried about election fraud and suspicious that the unmarked vehicles may be carrying bags full of votes to pop their tires.
The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Izmir candidate for Parliament, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, has investigated the unmarked vehicles. Police claim that the unmarked vehicles should not even be entering traffic, let alone at the polls, and have claimed that they will withdraw them. Ertuğrul called on voters to be alert, observe and document the presence of the vehicles and send them to the Crisis Table the HDP has set up for the election.
The HDP has called on observers and everyday voters to remain at the polls until their votes are counted and recorded.
(cm/nt)
