World

Voting gets underway in Turkey's elections

Voting in Turkey’s parliamentary and presidential elections began on Sunday

TRT World June 24, 2018

Election officials hold ballot papers with the names of political parties participating in the nationwide legislative election, as they count votes. PHOTO: AFP

ISTANBUL:

Voters are choosing members of parliament and a president in a system that will make the president head of both state and government.

Voting in Turkey’s parliamentary and presidential elections began on Sunday, with 56,322,632 registered voters and 180,065 ballot boxes across the country.

Voting started at 0500GMT (8 am local time) and will continue through to 1400 GMT (5 pm local time).

It is forbidden to enter the voting booth with cameras and mobile phones.

Voters will cast two separate ballot papers in the same envelope, one for the presidential and the other for parliamentary elections.

After the voting ends, ballots cast for the presidential candidates will be counted first.

Turkey elections 2018: Understanding the political parties

Voting at the customs gates which started on June 7, will also end at 1400 GMT (5:00pm local time) on Sunday.

Eight political parties are participating in the parliamentary elections that include the Justice and Development (AK) Party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), the Free Cause (Huda-Par) Party, the newly formed Good (IYI) Party, the Felicity (Saadet) Party and the Patriotic (Vatan) Party.

All candidates of Turkey's elections made their final pitches before campaigning ends on Saturday.

Erdogan, Ince square up for heavyweight Turkey poll fight

Six candidates are running for president: Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the People’s Alliance (Cumhur Ittifaki), formed by Turkey’s governing AK Party and the MHP, Muharrem Ince for CHP, Selahattin Demirtas for HDP, Meral Aksener for the Good (IYI) Party, Temel Karamollaoglu for the Felicity (Saadet) Party, and Dogu Perincek for the Patriotic (Vatan) Party.

The sale of alcoholic beverages is banned from 0300 GMT (06:00am local time ) to 2100 GMT (00.00pm) while the consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited in public places.

In Istanbul, 38,480 police officers, four police helicopters, eight boats, 85 anti-riot water cannon vehicles, 90 armoured vehicles and three drone teams will be on duty to provide security on election day.

Content republished in partnership with TRT World