Triumphant Erdogan swats away Western Criticism of Referendum

A defiant Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the West’s “crusader mentality” on Monday after European monitors criticised a referendum in which he won sweeping new powers. Erdogan, whose narrow victory laid bare the nation’s divisions, told flag-waving supporters that foreign election observers should “know their place” and Turkey did not “see, hear or acknowledge” criticism that the vote did not live up to international standards. Turkish media reported that the main opposition party rejected the result and called for the vote to be annulled. Thousands of people marched through at least three neighbourhood of Istanbul, some chanting “Thief, Erdogan,” “no to the presidency” and “this is just the beginning” after calls on social media for protests in several cities.