Turks Abroad Begin Voting with 3.4 Million Eligible to Vote

Elections

Expatriate Turks began voting today in the presidential and parliamentary elections for Turkish expatriates, and the voting will continue until May 9. Registered voters abroad can vote at the border gates of Kapıkule, Ipsala, Pazarkule, Hamzabeyli, and Dereköy. The ballot box committees consist of a chairman, a member of the General Election Board, and officials appointed by the political parties. Approximately 3.41 million people are expected to cast their votes abroad, including nearly 278,000 first-time young voters. The Supreme Election Board has set up 4,671 polling centers at border gates for these voters. Additionally, ballot boxes have been prepared for the first time in countries such as Belarus, Brazil, Estonia, Morocco, Montenegro, South Korea, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Portugal, Slovakia, and Tanzania.

In the United States, where there are 134,246 eligible voters, there are nine representative offices available. Brazil ranks last on the list in terms of the number of eligible Turkish voters, with only 581 people, followed by Nigeria with 584 voters and then Turkmenistan with 635 people. In Austria, six offices will host polling centers, while three offices will be established in both Azerbaijan and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognized by Ankara.

Once the voting abroad is complete, the ballot papers will be brought to Turkey via diplomatic bags and other methods determined by the Supreme Board under maximum security measures to ensure their safety in the capital, Ankara. These ballot boxes will be opened after the voting is completed on May 14.

On the other hand, Turks have also begun casting their votes in Germany, where the largest Turkish community resides, with 1.5 million people voting through 26 polling centers in Germany alone.

These elections are the toughest for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared to other elections he has faced in more than two decades. He has led the Justice and Development Party, which he heads, to victory in previous elections. However, this time the opposition has become more united and accepted the leadership of the Republican People's Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu as the main candidate against Erdogan.