At 5:00 p.m. local time on Sunday, polling stations closed their doors after nine hours of voting to elect the 600 members of Parliament and the country’s new president.
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Election day passed with hardly any incidents, although some sectors of the opposition denounced alleged irregularities and vote manipulation.
Different sources report that voter participation will be higher than that observed in past elections, where 80 percent of citizens authorized to vote exercised their rights.
The electoral campaign has been very tense. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is running for re-election, compared the 2023 election to the failed coup in 2016.
❝I wish a good future for our country, Turkish democracy❞
Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan casts his vote in the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections https://t.co/kfJhKjPEiS pic.twitter.com/aBRhgX1JG3
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency)
May 14, 2023
Responding to fears that he will not accept the results, Erdogan said on Friday that he will accept any result democratically.
“Dear fellow travelers. The voting process has concluded throughout our country in a manner consistent with our democracy. Thank God. As always, now is the time to hold on to the ballot box. Until the results are final, we continue to protect the will of our nation!,” he said.
According to the provisions currently in force, news related to the elections may not be disseminated until 6:00 p.m. local time and the electoral results may only be disseminated after 9:00 p.m. local time. The Electoral Commission, however, can lift this veto earlier.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | Turkiye presidential candidate Muharrem Ince announces his withdrawal from the elections. pic.twitter.com/Ay9D5Z1kD9
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
May 12, 2023
