On Tuesday evening, 18 April, Turkey's Minister for European Affairs Ömer Çelik said the EU's request earlier that day for a transparent investigation into possible irregularities in the Turkish referendum on constitutional changes (see EUROPE 11679) was "unacceptable".
"Such a speculative report from a spokesperson cannot be accepted", he said at a press conference, calling on the EU "to respect democratic processes".
Çelik also wanted relations between the EU and Turkey to develop more objectively. "It is not possible to continue dispensing anti-Erdogan discourse all the time", he said.
Turkey also spoke out against the criticism of the electoral observers, who do not believe the referendum respected international standards. Çelik stated that the observers' comments lacked objectivity and impartiality. "To say the referendum was below international standards is unacceptable", he said in a press release. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)