A Turkish opposition deputy on Monday has said Venezuela’s national election board chair Tibisay Lucena, a controversial figure accused of rigging the elections in 2017, arrived Turkey in early May, questioning whether Lucena helped the ruling party in the nullification of the İstanbul election results.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Ünal Çeviköz submitted a parliamentary question stating that Lucena, who has been sanctioned by the European Union, came to Turkey with at least nine pieces of luggage, and considering it was a 12-day visit, her trip taking place just before the Supreme Election Board’s (YSK) decision to cancel the results seemed suspicious.
Çeviköz also mentioned the gold trade between Venezuela and Turkey and asked Vice President Fuat Oktay if Venezuelan gold would be used to temporarily boost the economy in order to win the İstanbul election re-run.
Turkey held local elections on March 31, when the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lost İstanbul to the opposition alliance’s candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu.
After a number of objections from the AKP, the election board cancelled the results, citing irregularities, and set a new election for June 23.
Based on the parliamentary question, it was not clear whether Lucena has met with the Turkish officials or not.
“In our country, where everything is imported, are we now importing the rigging of elections?” Çeviköz asked in parliament.