Turkey: Election body lifts referendum broadcast ban

By Ferdi Turkten and Aylin Sirikli

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's electoral authority lifted its referendum broadcast ban as of 6.01 p.m. (1501GMT) on Sunday.

The Supreme Election Board (YSK) lifted the restriction after voting in Turkey’s constitutional referendum concluded nationwide.

Voting took place between 7 a.m. local time (0400GMT) and 4 p.m. (1300GMT) in Turkey's eastern provinces of Adiyaman, Agri, Artvin, Bingol, Bitlis, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Kars, Malatya, Kahramanmaras, Mardin, Mus, Ordu, Rize, Siirt, Sivas, Trabzon, Tunceli, Sanliurfa, Van, Bayburt, Batman, Sirnak, Ardahan, Igdir, and Kilis.

For the rest of the country, voting began at 8 a.m. (0500GMT) and closed at 5 p.m. (1400GMT).

More than 55 million Turkish citizens went to the polls in the historic referendum on key constitutional changes, including shifting the country from its current parliamentary system to an executive presidency.