Turkey mobilizes 380,000 security forces for referendum

By Sarp Ozer

ANKARA

Just over 380,000 members of Turkey’s security forces will be on duty across the country to safeguard Sunday’s referendum, the interior minister said on Monday.

Suleyman Soylu, speaking at a news briefing in Ankara, said a total of 251,788 members of the security members plus 128,445 gendarmes had been assigned referendum duty.

Six thousand Turkish army personnel will also be on duty as a backup force, Soylu said.

Soylu added that over 51,000 village guards in 26 different cities and 18,700 volunteer guards would serve as well.

More than 55 million Turkish citizens will vote on wide-ranging constitutional changes. Voters will go to over 167,000 ballot boxes nationwide.

*Reporting by Sarp Ozer; Writing by Satuk Bugra Kutlugun