US not to comment on Turkey referendum ahead of final OSCE report

The White House will not comment on the results of Turkey’s presidential referendum before the final OSCE report
Monday, 17 April 2017 22:44

The White House said on Monday that it would wait to comment on a referendum that granted sweeping new powers to Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan.

"There is an international commission that is reviewing this and issues a report in 10 to 12 days. We will wait and let them do their jobs," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at a briefing. 

U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner is pointing to concerns raised by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored the Turkish referendum Sunday. He says Monday there were irregularities both on voting day and during the campaign that led to an "uneven playing field" for the "no" side.

The OSCE has criticised a Turkish electoral board decision to allow ballots that did not bear official stamps, saying that undermined efforts to fight fraud.

The U.S. says it's calling on supporters and opponents of the vote's results to work together and keep talking while the OSCE finished it report on the vote.