Turkey's main opposition party has formally appealed for the annulment of a referendum to expand President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's powers, defying the prime minister's call for political forces to respect the official results of the disputed vote.
The demonstrations began in smaller numbers after Sunday's vote with clattering pots and pans, but have since drawn thousands of participants expressing outrage at alleged voting irregularities.
The protesters on Wednesday evening chanted "Thief, Murderer, Erdogan" and "Don't be silent, shout out, "no" to the presidency".
Both Turkey's bar association and worldwide election monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that the illegal move may have swung the knife-edge vote, which will give Mr Erdogan the power to appoint and fire ministers, name half the members of the country's highest judicial body, hold the leadership of a political party while in office, and possibly stay in power until 2029.
"Moving from rhetoric to action on the issue of the death penalty would be a clear signal that Turkey does not want to be a member of the European family", Ms. Schinas said.
Those protests were sparked by plans to uproot trees in Istanbul's Gezi Park to build a shopping mall.
On Sunday, 51.4 percent of Turkish voters cast their ballots in favor of 18 constitutional amendments that will, among other things, see Turkey switch from a parliamentary system to a presidential system of governance. Turkey's main opposition party has filed a formal req. Voter turnout was 85.46 percent.
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"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 worldwide standards", reported Reuters.
The bar association expects Turkey's electoral body to realize its constitutional responsibilities in evaluating complaints, a statement said.
Turkey's opposition parties have the right to file objections to the outcome of a recent referendum on expanding presidential powers, the prime minister said Wednesday, but he warned that calling for street protests was unacceptable.
The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy leader Bulent Tezcan formally requested that the Supreme Election Board (YSK) cancel the result.
He said that "the path to seek rights" should be limited to the courts.
Mr. Erdogan, speaking from his official residence in Istanbul on Sunday, said the referendum had closed the door on Turkey's long history of military intervention in government.
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