Turkey’s Elections are going to be highly competitive and pose the most significant challenge to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his two decades of rule. On Sunday, voters in Turkey are actively participating in landmark parliamentary and presidential elections.
These elections will determine if Erdogan, who has shown an escalation in authoritarian tendencies, will secure another five-year term in office or if the NATO-member country will embrace the opposition candidate’s vision of a more democratic path.
Voting commenced at 8 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will conclude at 5 p.m. (1400 GMT).
Media organizations have been prohibited from reporting partial results until the embargo is lifted at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT), and exit polls are not available.
For the first time in his 20 years in office, opinion polls indicate that the populist Erdogan, 69, is entering a race trailing behind an opponent. Opinion surveys have given a slight lead to Kemal Kilicdaroglu. He is the 74-year-old leader of the center-left, pro-secular Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and the joint candidate of a united opposition alliance.
If neither candidate achieves a vote share exceeding 50%, a run-off on May 28 will decide the outcome of the presidential race.
More than 64 million people, including 3.4 million overseas voters, are eligible to vote in Turkey’s Elections . The elections are taking place the year Turkey marks the centenary of the establishment of the republic.
Traditionally, voter turnout in Turkey remains strong. This indicates the ongoing belief in civic participation in a country where the government has suppressed freedom of expression and assembly.