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Salt Bae Casts Meme-y Vote in Election Over Authoritarian Turkish Rule

Yesterday’s Turkish referendum granted increasingly authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan even more power over the country in a narrow vote. Nevertheless, it has created at least one meme. Nusret Gökçe — the sunglasses-wearing, seasoning-sprinkling chef known as Salt Bae — cast his vote in the same way he adds salt: with pinched fingers and a bit of flair.

The chef wrote “İşlem tamam,” which translates to “the Process is complete.” He did not indicate whether he voted in support of Erdoğan’s new powers. Last July, a failed coup to overthrow the Turkish president resulted in hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests.

Salt Bae Casts Meme-y Vote in Turkish Election