During a TV program, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reflected on the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observers’ complaints with respect to the irregularities that occurred during the recent constitutional referendum in Turkey, and stated that the OSCE had sent a terrorist group to Turkey as observers.

He said one of these observers was previously photographed with the flag of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)—which Ankara considers a terrorist organization, and therefore this person could not be viewed as an independent observer, according to OdaTV news website of Turkey.

The OSCE observers’ group had stated that the plebiscite in Turkey had fallen short of European Union standards.

The Supreme Election Council (YSK) of Turkey had declared valid the “Yes” ballots that were cast without a stamp in numerous election precincts, and this had secured President Erdoğan’s victory in the referendum.

The political opposition in Turkey demands the holding of a new referendum, since the will of the people and the law was disregarded.

According to preliminary results, the Erdoğan-led “Yes” campaign has won the referendum in Turkey on April 16, by garnering 51.4 percent of the votes.

Eighteen constitutional amendments were put to the vote, and according to which Turkey is to transition from a parliamentary to a presidential system of government.

Turkish opposition and international analysts stress, however, that with these amendments, Erdoğan is gaining the sole right to govern the country, and that this is perilous for democracy and freedoms in the country.

He already has announced his plans for reinstating the death penalty in Turkey.