Brussels 16.05.2023 “The EU welcomes the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections that took place in Türkiye on Sunday 14 May and the high turnout as a clear sign of the commitment of the Turkish people to exercising their democratic right to vote” reads the joint Statement by High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi on the elections in Turkey.

“We note the preliminary findings and conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission of the OSCE and the Council of Europe, and call on Turkish authorities to address the shortcomings identified.

“The EU attaches the utmost importance to the need for transparent, inclusive and credible elections, in a level playing field.

“The EU looks forward to the incoming parliament taking up its functions”.

Previously the European Parliament made clear it would not send an observation mission to Turkey for the general elections on 14 May.

“The European Parliament will not observe this electoral process, and consequently will neither comment on the process nor on the results that will be announced afterwards. No individual Member of the European Parliament has been mandated to observe or comment on this electoral process on its behalf”.

This was announced in a statement co-signed by the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Co-Chair of the European Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG), David McAllister, and by the Chair of the Committee on Development, Co-Chair of the European Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group, Tomas Tobé.

“Therefore, should any Member of the European Parliament decide to observe these elections, she/he would do so on her/his own initiative and should under no circumstances through any statement or action, associate her/his participation with the European Parliament”, they added.