Europe

Turkey's justice minister says contesting referendum moot

Associated Press
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Supporters of the 'NO' vote, ( "Hayir" in Turkish) participate in a protest against the referendum outcome, in Istanbul, Friday, April 21, 2017. The placard centre reads in Turkish: 'NO, we will win' and the one right, reads: 'NO, it is not over, it has just started'. Turkey's opposition party is contesting the results of April 16 referendum over a number of irregularities, in particular an electoral board decision to accept ballots without official stamps, as required by Turkish law. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) (The Associated Press)

FILE- In this Tuesday, April 18, 2017 photo, supporters of the main opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, chant slogans during a protest outside Istanbul's Court House. In a series of tweets, Bozdag slammed the main opposition party on Saturday, April 22, 2017, for contesting the outcome of Sunday's referendum on expanding presidential powers and said there is no judicial path to reverse the ruling. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias, File) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this April 16, 2016 file photo, Turkey's justice minister Bekir Bozdag waits for a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey. In a series of tweets, Bozdag slammed the main opposition party on Saturday, April 22, 2017, for contesting the outcome of Sunday's referendum on expanding presidential powers and said there is no judicial path to reverse the ruling. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici, File) (The Associated Press)

Turkey's justice minister has slammed the main opposition party for contesting the outcome of last Sunday's referendum on expanding presidential powers and said the judicial paths they are attempting are moot.

In a series of tweets Saturday, Justice Minister Bozdag said all decisions on electoral issues, including complaints and fraud allegations, are in the purview of Turkey's electoral board. The board ruled against applications to annul the referendum Wednesday.

He tweeted, "applications against the High Electoral Board's decisions cannot be taken to any court or authority, including the Council of State and the Constitutional Court."

Bozdag's comments follow the opposition Republican People's Party's application to the Council of State Friday to overturn the electoral board's decision that unstamped ballot papers were valid.