The “most important elections of 2023” will take place in Turkey on Sunday. Former ruler Recep Tayyip Erdoğan must fear for the presidency for the first time. All results and news can be found here in the live ticker.
the essence in a nutshell
The Turkish presidential candidate and Erdogan’s most promising challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu has cast his vote in the Turkish elections. Television images showed Kilicdaroglu at the polls in Ankara on Sunday. “We missed democracy very much,” Kilicdaroglu said. “Spring” will hopefully come soon, the 74-year-old said, referring to a possible victory in the election.
Some 61 million people in Turkey were called on Sunday to elect a president and a new parliament. Polls point to a close race between Kilicdaroglu and incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (sda/dpa)
Parliamentary and presidential elections have started in Turkey. Polling stations opened at 8am (local time/7am CEST) on Sunday, with nationwide voting closing at 5pm (local time/4pm CEST). Reliable results are expected late Sunday evening in German time. About 61 million people are called to vote, including about five million people who voted for the first time.
After 20 years in power, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fears his re-election. An infighting ensues between him and opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
Kilicdaroglu is leader of the social-democratic party CHP, representing a broad coalition of six parties. He promises to abolish the presidential system under which Erdogan has far-reaching powers.
The third candidate, Sinan Ogan, has no chance of winning. If none of the candidates achieves an absolute majority in the first round, a second round will take place on 28 May.
Erdogan’s Islamist conservative AKP currently has a majority in parliament in alliance with the ultra-nationalist MHP. Whether Erdogan can keep this is open. The pro-Kurdish HDP is seen as the decisive factor. She is not part of Kilicdaroglu’s six-party alliance, but supports him in the presidential election. (sda/dpa)
This is how Turkey votes on Sunday
Turkey elects its president and parliament every five years. The elections should actually have taken place in June, but ruler Erdogan has brought them forward to May. Now 64 million Turks with the right to vote determine the political future of the country.
If a party wants to enter parliament with 600 seats, it needs at least seven percent – alone or together with other parties. As of 2018, 14 parties are represented in parliament.
Only parties that have won at least 5 percent of the vote in the last election are allowed to nominate candidates for the presidential election. In addition, parties can also nominate someone who has collected a minimum of 100,000 signatures in support of their nomination.
Incumbent Erdogan mainly has to fear challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu. In the latest polls, he always managed to outperform the previous president. (lion)