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Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council rejected petitions from three political parties to annul the Apr. 16 constitutional referendum because of its illegality, Anadolu Agency reported.

This decision was made at the Council’s meeting on April 19. Ten out of 11 board members voted against the appeals, the Electoral Council said in a statement.

The petitions were filed by the country’s Republican People’s Party, Peoples’ Democratic Party and the Patriotic Party.

A referendum on amendments to the Constitution of Turkey was held in the country Apr. 16. Some 51.4 percent of voters cast their ballots in favor of the amendments to the Turkish Constitution.

The amendments to the Turkish constitution cover 18 points. Below are the main amendments:

- The number of seats in the Turkish Parliament will increase from 550 to 600;

- Turkish citizens will be able to run for the MP seats from the age of 18 (earlier, the lowest age limit was 25);

- Parliamentary election will be held every 5 years (at present, the parliamentary election is held every 4 years);

- A Turkish citizen, no younger than 40, can be elected as president;

- President of Turkey will be granted the power to appoint ministers or remove them;

- The elected president can be a party member (current legislation doesn't allow this).

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