ANKARA, May 27 — Turkiye is heading to a runoff vote on Sunday (May 28) to elect the president after no candidate was able to reach the 50 per cent threshold in the first round held on May 14.
The voting will begin on Sunday at 8am local time (0500GMT) and end at 5pm local time (1400GMT).
More than 60 million people are registered to vote, including 4.9 million first-time voters, reported Anadolu Agency.
A total of 191,885 ballot boxes have been set up for voters in the country.
According to Turkiye’s Supreme Election Council, more than 1.89 million people — 1,895,430 — already cast their votes at Turkiye’s foreign missions and customs gates as of 10am local time (0700GMT) on Thursday (May 25).
Voting at diplomatic missions ended on Wednesday (May 24), while the polling will continue at customs gates until 5pm local time (1400GMT) on Sunday.
In the May 14 elections, a total of 1,839,470 Turkish citizens abroad went to the polls to vote in both presidential and parliamentary elections.
Those who are unable to cast their ballots within the dedicated time in their country of residence will be able to vote at the customs gates until 5 pm Sunday.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called on people to come out to vote.
“Tomorrow, let us go to the polls together for the Great Turkiye Victory. Let us reflect the will that was manifested in the Parliament on May 14 to the Presidency much more strongly this time,” he said on Twitter.
“Let’s start the Turkiye Century with our votes,” Erdogan added.
Millions of voters went to the polls on May 14 to elect the country’s president and members of its 600-seat parliament.
Erdogan’s People’s Alliance won a majority in parliament, while the presidential race headed to the second round as no candidate obtained a simple majority, or more than 50 per cent of the votes. Erdogan, however, led with 49.52 per cent.
Erdogan will face Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and joint candidate for the six-party opposition Nation Alliance, in the runoff vote.
— Bernama
