Turkish PM says people's message clear, referendum has ended all arguments

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks to supporters as he arrives at Eyup Sultan mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, April 17, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Monday that the people's message was clear after a referendum which will hand President Tayyip Erdogan sweeping new powers, and said the vote had ended all arguments. Election authorities said preliminary results showed 51.4 percent of voters had backed the biggest overhaul of Turkish politics since the founding of the modern republic in Sunday's referendum. European monitors said the vote did not live up to international standards. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Writing by Nick Tattersall)