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Polling in Turkey’s parliamentary and presidential elections ended at 5.00 p.m. (1400GMT) on Sunday.
With the polls officially closed, electoral committees across the country’s 81 provinces have started counting the ballots.
Votes were cast in 180,065 polling places across the country.
For the first time in Turkish history, political parties run in the elections by forming electoral alliances.
Election officials count ballots at a polling station shortly after the polling stations closed on June 24, 2018 in İzmir, Turkey. More than 56M Turks were eligible to vote in parliamentary and presidential elections; ballot counting starts
Polls close in Turkey's elections
Legal proceedings have been initiated against four people over election rigging attempts in the eastern Turkish province of Agri, the governor's office said on Sunday.They include three people who attempted to cast fake votes and an opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) observer for abetting them.The accused attempted to cast votes using forged ballot papers, which they presumably copied from the internet, according to a statement.Officials identified the fake papers as they were not carrying a seal by the election council.‘Turkey’s election is a source of hope for the region’s oppressed’Turkish polls going on smoothly: Independent observerElection board assures election security in SE Turkey"Legal proceedings have been initiated against the people who attempted to cast the fake ballot papers and an HDP observer who stealthily placed the fake ballot papers into their pockets," said the governor's office.Voting started at 8.00 a.m. local time (0500GMT) and will continue through 5.00 p.m. local time (1400GMT).
Fake voters in east Turkey face legal proceedings
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) formed an alliance dubbed the “People’s Alliance” while the Republican People's Party (CHP), İYİ (Good) Party and the Felicity Party have constituted another dubbed the “Nation’s Alliance.”
Six candidates are running for president, while eight political parties are contending in the parliamentary elections.
In April, Parliament passed a bill calling for early elections on June 24, cementing Turkey’s move from a parliamentary to a presidential system. In an April 2017 referendum, Turkish voters approved the switch.
Under the changes, the number of lawmakers in parliament rises from 550 to 600, presidential and parliamentary elections will be held every five years, and presidents can retain ties to their political party. The prime minister post is also abolished.
Polls in Turkey continue peacefully, according to the Interior Ministry.Foolproof security was ensured across the country during the presidential and parliamentary elections, according to a statement.Half a million security personnel performed duties, including 264,526 police personnel, 195,695 gendarme, 50,793 security guards and 19,993 voluntary security guards.Galeri: Presidential candidates, politicians cast votes in Turkey electionsArmenian-origin Turkish citizens also cast their votes in Turkey's only Armenian village Vakifli in southern Hatay province.Speaking to Anadolu Agency, some voters in the village expressed their best wishes for the election result.‘Turkey’s election is a source of hope for the region’s oppressed’Officials reject vote irregularities in southern TurkeyTurkish interior minister monitors electionsVillage head Berc Kartun said there are 102 voters in the village."We hope to have elections free of clashes and accidents," Kartun added.Voting started at 8.00 a.m. local time (0500GMT) and will continue through 5.00 p.m. local time (1400GMT).
Turkish voters go to polls amid foolproof security
Prominent Malaysian politician Anwar Ibrahim, who was convicted in 2015 in a case that he said was politically motivated and released with a full pardon from the king in May 2018, lauded Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a recent visit to Turkey.After Mahathir Mohamad’s election in May as Malaysia’s new prime minister, he secured a royal pardon for Anwar and has promised to step aside for his friend-turned-foe-turned-ally to become prime minister. Anwar has said that it had been accepted that he would be the next prime minister after Mahathir steps down, but he wants to ensure a smooth transition.Anwar spoke exclusively to Emeti Saruhan from Gerçek Hayat magazine.Muslim world lacks strong leaders“We [Muslims] do not have good leaders. They do not have the courage to speak up. Just look at the Palestine matter. There are very few [leaders] who raise their voices. The matter that must be evaluated is governing. Before, there was Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz. He was able to accomplish great things in two years and three months because of his character. There should be mutual trust between the people and leaders. Democratic elections should be conducted to ensure this,” Anwar said.‘Turkey’s election is a source of hope for the region’s oppressed’Erdoğan casts his vote for presidential, parliamentary electionsPortable ballot boxes go to sickly, elderly voters in Turkey elections for the first timeTurkish president has an “effective voice”“Erdoğan is the most vocal leader in the Muslim world. He has courage and represents an important country like Turkey. Turkey is a great country and has a strong economy. People will of course criticize, but I do not doubt Erdoğan’s sincerity. He told me he was doing the best he can. He’s honest. He follows through on his promises,” Anwar added.Anwar in Turkey to “speak about the truth”Anwar had been invited by Erdoğan to visit Turkey in 2015, and has been criticized for making his visit prior to Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections held on June 24.“They say ‘We know why you came.’ I came to speak about the truth. To speak about how I feel. I am someone who spent 10.5 years in prison. I cannot be told to not speak about what I believe in,” Anwar said.
Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim backs Turkey’s Erdoğan
As Turkey heads to the polls in a decisive election on Sunday, the Middle East holds it breath in anticipation of the results that promise to shape the future of the region. The oppressed people of Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Libya, who look to Turkey as a beacon of hope in a region rocked by turmoil and instability, hope that the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections will tip the balance in favor of the disenfranchised people of the Middle East. Billboards went up across Kuwait, Qatar, Morocco, Algeria, among other countries in the region, showing support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the elections, while millions of social media users in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE prayed for the victory of Erdoğan and the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.Ahmad Toma, former president of Syria’s interim government, said, “June 24 is not only Turkey's election but it's the hope of all the oppressed.”“We’re all Erdoğan”Placards that read, “We’re all Erdoğan” were raised during the events that followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s Jerusalem decision. Abu Ayman, the head of the Syrian Palestinian Delegation, pointed that even “the prospect of the region without Erdoğan would be a very grim landscape.”For the first time in Turkish history, political parties went to elections by forming alliances.Turkey’s ruling AK Party and the MHP formed an alliance (People’s Alliance) while the main opposition CHP, the IYI Party, and the Felicity Party constituted another (Nation Alliance).Video: Turkish President Erdoğan casts his vote in Istanbul‘The people of Iraq stand beside Turkey’ Kurds, Turkmens and Arabs in Iraq, which recently went to the polls in a disputed election, expressed their support for Erdoğan and the People’s Alliance.Ömer Aydoğdu, a leader from Iraq’s Turkmen Front, pointed that for the Iraqi people, the elections carry great importance when it comes to influencing the region’s destiny and foiling global ploys. With the exception of a minority who sympathizes with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terror organization or sectarian fanatics, the majority of Iraqis stand beside the Turkish president, says Aydoğdu, who is also a Turkmen from Kirkuk. “Erdoğan was the lead actor that foiled the global ploy being staged during the Sept. 25 elections in northern Iraq.”Six candidates are running for president, while eight political parties are contending in Turkey’s parliamentary elections.In April, Parliament passed a bill calling for early elections on June 24, cementing Turkey’s move from a parliamentary to a presidential system. In an April 2017 referendum, Turkish voters approved the switch.Under the changes, the number of lawmakers in parliament rises from 550 to 600, presidential and parliamentary elections will be held every five years, and presidents can retain ties to their political party. The prime minister post is also abolished.Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has served as president since 2014, and is Turkey's first popularly-elected president. Before that, he served as prime minister from 2003 to 2014.Erdoğan would be Turkey's first leader to rule under the presidential system should he win the election.Turkish polls going on smoothly: Independent observerElection board assures election security in SE TurkeyErdoğan casts his vote for presidential, parliamentary elections
‘Turkey’s election is a source of hope for the region’s oppressed’