Turkey election 2023 updates: Voting ends in tight race
All the updates from Turkey’s elections as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces his biggest political challenge.
- This blog is now closed. You can visit our Turkey elections results blog here.
- Polls have officially closed in Turkey’s elections as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces the biggest political challenge of his two-decade rule. His main rival is opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
- This blog is now closed. You can visit our Turkey elections results blog here.
- Polls have officially closed in Turkey’s elections as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces the biggest political challenge of his two-decade rule. His main rival is opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
- More than 64 million people are eligible to vote to elect a president and parliament for a five-year term.
- The polls opened at 8am (05:00 GMT) and closed at 5pm (14:00 GMT). People still in the queues will be allowed to vote. Media organisations are barred from reporting partial results until an embargo is lifted at 9pm (18:00 GMT),
- If no candidate secures more than half the votes in the first round of voting, a May 28 run-off will be held.
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‘Never leave the ballot boxes, no matter what’: Kilicdaroglu
Kilicdaroglu has said in a tweet: “I want to call out to our heroes of democracy. Never leave the ballot boxes, no matter what, until the final signed ballot box report is delivered.
“The full and correct manifestation of the will of the people depends on your determination. You will see, it will be worth your tiredness.”
Demokrasi kahramanlarımıza seslenmek istiyorum. Ä°mzalı son sandık tutanaÄı teslim edilene kadar, ne olursa olsun asla sandıkların baÅından ayrılmayın. Millet iradesinin tam ve doÄru biçimde tecelli etmesi sizin kararlılıÄınıza baÄlı. Göreceksiniz, yorgunluÄunuza deÄecek. ð«¶ð¼
— Kemal KılıçdaroÄlu (@kilicdarogluk) May 14, 2023
Photos: Vote counting
Erdogan’s political future hangs in balance after 20-year rule
The election could grant Erdogan, 69, a new five-year term or unseat him in favour of Kilicdaroglu.
If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the race will be determined in a May 28 run-off.
If his political alliance wins, Erdogan could continue governing without much restriction. The opposition has promised to return Turkey’s governance system to a parliamentary democracy if it wins both the presidential and parliamentary ballots.
Five things to know about Turkey’s pivotal elections
- Polls closed at 5pm local (14:00 GMT) and counting is under way.
- Preliminary results are expected later on Sunday, but the official results may take up to three days to be confirmed. There are no exit polls.
- A candidate needs more than 50 percent of votes in the first round to win outright. If no one crosses the 50-percent mark, the top two candidates will go head to head in a run-off two weeks later, with this year’s vote set for May 28.
- Pre-election polls gave a slight lead to Kilicdaroglu, 74, the joint candidate of a six-party opposition alliance who leads the centre-left, pro-secular Republican People’s Party, or CHP.
- Some have expressed concerns over whether Erdogan would cede power if he lost. Erdogan, however, said in an interview with more than a dozen Turkish broadcasters on Friday that he came to power through democracy and would act in line with the democratic process.
No security incidents, reports of irregularities: AJ correspondent
No major security incidents or irregularities at polling stations have been reported so far, Al Jazeera’s Sami Zeidan has said.
“Sadly three people had a heart attack — a polling supervisor and two voters — because of the palpable excitement and the tension that has gripped this country,” Zeidan said.
Economy playing a key role
Al Jazeera’s Amer Lafi has been speaking to voters in Istanbul and has this to say:
“Those who voted for Kilicdaroglu told us that they wanted the economic situation to change and that Kilicdaroglu might hold the magic wand or the key to change.
“Those who voted for Erdogan told us that they still had a lot of faith in the man who led Turkey for more than 20 years, and that the economic crisis was not limited to Turkey but is rather a global crisis that has hit all cities and countries around the world. They are confident that Erdogan can overcome this challenge.”
Turks always say that whoever wins Istanbul wins the election, Lafi added.
Election officials about to count votes as polls close
Erdogan urges supporters to ‘protect the ballot boxes’
Erdogan has addressed supporters in a Twitter post following the conclusion of voting.
“The voting process has been completed throughout the country in a way that befits our democracy,” he said.
“Now, as always, it is time to firmly protect the ballot boxes. Until the results are finalised, we will continue to protect the will of our people.”
Voting is over, what happens next?
Al Jazeera’s Sami Zeidan, reporting from Istanbul, says official results will be out in three days.
“This [three days] seems like a lifetime as the nation is on knife-edge, wanting to know where these crucial elections will take the nation,” Zeidan said.
As of 7pm (16:00 GMT), “we can start talking about some of the unofficial results, but for now we have to sit back and hold our breath”, he added.
CHP banking on Izmir votes
Over the last few days, the CHP has been mobilising its supporters in public places and promising an ‘inevitable change’ and the end of what it called the one-man rule, according to Al Jazeera’s Omar al-Hajj, reporting from Izmir.
“The CHP is banking on how Izmir would vote since it’s considered a CHP stronghold. However, the AK Party is likely to win a significant percentage of the votes in Izmir.
“We’re talking about more than a third of the parliamentary seats, as well as 40 percent of the presidential vote.”
Polls close in Turkey, voting continues
Polling has officially closed in Turkey at 5pm local time(14:00 GMT), but due to long voter queues the Istanbul Bar Association said people waiting in line will be allowed to cast their ballot.
According to the law, the head of the ballot box committee should collect the identity documents of anyone still queueing and allow them to vote after the cut-off time.
Erdogan on unannounced visit to Ankara
Erdogan has arrived in Ankara to watch the election results as part of an unplanned visit to the Turkish capital.
“As per tradition, President Erdogan votes in Istanbul — his city, where he was born and started his political career — and then goes home to follow the results,” Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from Istanbul, said.
“As soon as the results are out around midnight, he flies to the capital for the necessary speeches,” she added.
However, Erdogan travelled to the Presidential Complex in Ankara earlier than expected and will be watching the results from the AK Party headquarters.
“This is a surprise for everyone,” Koseoglu said.
Can the Turkish opposition unseat Erdogan?
Erdogan is hoping to extend his term after more than 20 years in power, but recent opinion polls suggest he is not the outright favourite.
High inflation and a perceived slow response to devastating earthquakes hit his popularity. Some voters are turning to a new candidate.
So what does that mean for Turkish politics and the economy? Watch Inside Story below:
Latest photos: Thousands queue in long lines to cast their vote
People have waited in long lines that snaked through cities as thousands of people hit the polls to vote in the country’s election.
Voting in Istanbul’s least populated neighbourhood
In Istanbul’s least populated neighbourhood, 13 voters have cast their ballots.
The polling station in Tahtakale lies just behind the city’s popular Spice Bazaar and a short distance from Hagia Sophia Mosque.
But despite being one of the busiest and most touristic parts of the city, it has a sparse population.
“There are fewer voters than many small villages,” election observer Kadir Burak Kale told the Anadolu news agency. “Voter lists are usually page by page [but] here it is a single page.”
Election officials say people also voted at the polling station in Mimar Sinan Primary School, taking the ballot box’s total to 21 voting envelopes.
Votes for Muharrem Ince to be counted, says SEC
Reporting from Ankara, Al Jazeera’s Farah al-Zaman Shawki said Turkey’s Supreme Council for Elections had announced that any votes cast for Muharrem Ince will be counted rather than be considered invalid.
Ince is the leader of the Homeland Party and a former presidential candidate who withdrew from the race days ahead of the vote.
His picture and a corresponding empty box that voters could select remained visible on ballot papers which had already been printed out before his withdrawal.
High flow of voters at some polling stations as vote nears close
Reporting from Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Amer Lafi says voter turnout at polling stations continues to be high despite polls closing in less than two hours.
Alternatively, Al Jazeera’s Farah al-Zaman Shawqi, reporting from Ankara, said the number of voters turning up at polling stations had slowed in the past hour.
World’s tallest man casts ballot
The world’s tallest man, Sultan Kosen, who is 2.51 metres (8 feet, 3 inches), has voted in the city of Derik in the district of Mardin.
“I wish the best for our country insha’Allah [God willing],” local media quoted him as saying after casting his ballot.
🗳️"Dünyanın en uzun adamı" unvanlı Sultan Kösen oyunu kullandı
😱Paravan boyuna yetmedi…#Secim2023 #Secim #gündem #haberhttps://t.co/upo4ebAuDK
— Super Haber (@superhaber) May 14, 2023
Translation:
Sultan Kosen, with the title of “the world’s tallest man”, voted. The screen was not tall enough for his height…
What happens next?
There are less than two hours before polling stations close at 5pm local time (14:00 GMT). Turkish law bans the reporting of any results until 9pm (18:00 GMT).
There are no exit polls.
By late on Sunday, there could be a good indication of whether there will be an outright winner in the presidential election or if there will be a second round of voting.
Voting continues as two hours remain until polls close
With two hours remaining before polls close in Turkey’s closely contested presidential and parliamentary elections, voters continue to stream into polling stations to cast their votes.
Super proud of my 95-year old gran, who just cast her vote in Turkey.
Big thanks to the *five* guys who carried her to the booth. 🇹🇷🗳️ pic.twitter.com/zP9pMFCKtS
— Alex Barker (@alexebarker) May 14, 2023
PODCAST: Are elections Erdogan’s biggest test yet?
Erdogan has spent nearly two decades at the top of Turkey’s democracy – first as prime minister, now as president. His main challenger is the face of a broad coalition, representing everyone from right to left – all with the goal of turning the page on Erdogan’s presidency.
Will they succeed?
In latest photos: Elderly, disabled people vote
The elderly and disabled people went to polling stations across the country to vote, with many being helped by relatives or election officials.
Voter aged 112 years casts her ballot
Gullu Dogan, 112, who is the oldest person in Gumushane in the Black Sea region of Turkey, insisted on voting at her local polling station with her children and grandchildren.
She decided to attend the election in person despite having the option to cast her vote through a mobile ballot box.
112 yaÅındaki Güllü DoÄan, oyunu yürüyerek geldiÄi sandıkta kullandı ve hayırlı olsun dileklerini iletti.https://t.co/mszw2ew7o5 pic.twitter.com/gj69WcyVny
— TRHaber (@trhaber_com) May 14, 2023
Green Left candidate says economy, freedom key election issues
The two most important issues affecting voters are the economy and freedom, said Cengiz Candar, the candidate for the Green Left Party.
Candar described the economy as “deteriorating”, saying that it will be a key factor in who claims victory.
Another issue is that of freedom, the candidate added.
“There are no freedoms in Turkey. There is no freedom of expression. Even the judiciary is now under government control, and there are a flagrant violation of laws,” he said.