Observing the Counting Process The counting process was observed at 255 ballot boxes in 19 provinces across Turkey. Observers reported on whether the counting proceeded according to rules starting from the time the ballot boxes were closed for voting. According to Article 95 of the LBPEVR No. 298, everyone present has the right to observe the counting process. Reports were made that, in many ballot boxes, the Ballot Box Committee Chairpersons had the committee members sign an empty tally in the morning hours of election day. The issue was reported to the SBE by the Human Rights Association, which is a member of the Platform. The following were noted by the observers: ‘At some ballot boxes, the tallies were signed before they were filled out in order to save time’, ‘At one ballot box, 15 tallies were signed before the counting took place. We were told that they were signed in advance to save time’, ‘Empty tally sheets were signed by the ballot box committee members in advance’. Observers and Citizens Prevented From Observing the Counting Despite the provision stipulating open counting, both independent observers and citizens were prevented from observing the counting process at some ballot boxes. Observers were prevented from observing the counting in 10 ballot boxes whereas citizens were prevented in 16 ballot boxes. Observers were prevented by the police at 2, the military at 1, the neighbourhood headmen at 1 and by unknown persons at 5 ballot boxes. OBSERVERS PREVENTED FROM WATCHING THE COUNTING PROCESS 10 228 EVET OBSERVERS PREVENTED YES FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE 10 3.9 NO 228 89.4 Total 238 93.3 Missing 17 6.7 Total 255 100.0 PREVENTED BY FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE POLICE 2 .8 MILITARY 1 .4 STAFF HEADMAN 2 .8 UNKNOWN 5 .8 Total 10 3.9 Missing 245 97.3 Overall Total 255 100.0 HAYIR Observer notes: “The counting started 15 minutes late because he political party observer from .... party tried to prevent the observer from observing the process. Although the Ballot Box Chairperson and members allowed the observer to watch, the member from the ... threatened the observer.’ ‘We were taken out of the school by the Headman. Observers were threatened and not allowed in the school’. ‘The counting could not be observed because of the attitude of the people in the ballot box area’, ‘Counting could not be observed due to tension’. ‘We were told that we could not observe the counting in any place other than where we cast our vote. We observed the counting not as Observers but as regular citizens’, ‘The observer was not allowed in the school’.