Istanbul: Voting has begun in Turkey's closely contested presidential and parliamentary races, which will determine whether current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will continue in office.
With nearly 200,000 voting machines installed nationwide, the polls opened in 81 provinces at 8 a.m. local time. Approximately 60 million people are eligible to vote, and 1.8 million have already done so from another country. The president and parliament members are both chosen for five-year terms.
Election-related news, predictions, and commentary are prohibited until 6 p.m. local time, or one hour after the polls close, in accordance with the applicable election laws. Results won't be released until after 9 o'clock.
The Supreme Election Board's Ahmet Yener stated on Friday that the government had taken "all measures for healthy and secure elections," including fortifying the technological foundation against blackouts and cyberattacks.
All eyes are on the contentious presidential race in the meantime. Erdogan, the incumbent, and Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the social-democratic Republican People's Party (CHP), the opposition, are the two leading contenders. Recent polls show a close contest between the two. A run-off election will take place on May 28 if no candidate receives at least 50% of the vote.
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On a variety of policies, Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu have divergent opinions. Erdogan has led Turkey along a path of relative geopolitical independence as its president and prime minister, steering the nation away from EU membership and fostering close ties with Moscow. This strategy has not changed, even in the midst of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
However, Kilicdaroglu has adopted a more pro-EU stance, promising to uphold the Western sanctions against Russia if elected.
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The People's Alliance, which currently holds a parliamentary majority and is made up of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party, is competing against the opposition Nation Alliance, which is made up of six parties and supports Kilicdaroglu for president.
