UPDATE - Turkish opposition takes referendum case to Europe

UPDATES WITH QUOTE FROM AK PARTY SPOKESMAN

By Halil Ibrahim Baser, Kadir Yildiz and Aynur Ekiz

KOCAELI, Turkey (AA) - The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) will challenge the result of Turkey’s April constitutional referendum at the European Court of Human Rights, party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said on Tuesday.

Kilicdaroglu signed a legal petition during a news conference held ahead of the 20th day of his protest march from the capital, Ankara, to the port city of Istanbul.

The CHP leader began the 350-kilometer (217 mile) trek on June 15 following the jailing of his party’s lawmaker, Enis Berberoglu, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for giving information to a newspaper on the alleged transportation of Turkish arms to Syria.

On Tuesday, Kilicdaroglu said the April referendum was “illegitimate” due to a Turkish Supreme Election Board (YSK) decision to accept unsealed voting papers on the night of the vote.

“We have prepared our petition. We are applying to the European Court of Human Rights,” he said, putting his first signature on the petition.

Meanwhile, the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman, Mahir Unal, criticized the CHP move.

“The Turkish Supreme Election Board’s decisions are quite certain and clear. The decision of the Constitutional Court on this subject is quite clear. What decision the European Court of Human Rights will make [based on previous decisions made on the issue in Turkey] is now evident,” Unal said.

Turkish voters narrowly endorsed an executive presidency in the April 16 referendum. The CHP had campaigned for a No vote.

The party has sharply criticized the conduct of the referendum, particularly the YSK decision.

However, Kilicdaroglu himself faced accusations from his own party that he failed to react strongly enough against the referendum outcome.

Following an unsuccessful appeal to the election board itself, the Council of State -- Turkey’s highest administrative court -- rejected a CHP petition to annul the YSK’s decision.