On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voted in the country’s presidential and legislative elections.
“The voting process is proceeding smoothly across the country.” Our citizens in the earthquake zone are also voting enthusiastically. “We had no problems in that region as well,” Erdogan told reporters after casting his ballot in Istanbul’s Uskudar district.
He hoped for a “good future for our country and Turkish democracy.”
Erdogan urged all residents to vote freely, calling it “very important in terms of demonstrating the strength of Turkish democracy.”
Millions of Turks began voting in the country’s presidential and legislative elections on Sunday at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT).
Over 64.1 million individuals are registered to vote, including 1.76 million who have already voted abroad and 4.9 million first-time voters.
In the country, 191,885 voting boxes have been set up for voters.
Every voter will cast two ballots, one for the president and one for legislators, both of whom will be elected for five-year terms.
Voters will pick between re-election candidate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leading opposition contender Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and Sinan Ogan.
Muharrem Ince, another presidential candidate, dropped out on Thursday.
The elections will feature more than 30 political parties and over 150 independent parliamentary candidates.
The People’s Alliance, Nation Alliance, Ancestral Alliance, Labor and Freedom Alliance, and Union of Socialist Forces Alliance are the five multiparty coalitions in the race.