Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Via AP news wire

Turkish citizens abroad begin voting in national election

(c) Copyright 2023, dpa (www.dpa.de). Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Millions of Turkish citizens living abroad began voting Thursday in national elections that will decide whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can govern Turkey for another term.

The overseas balloting began amid concerns over Erdogan’s health, after he was forced to cancel election rallies on Wednesday and Thursday. However, he was scheduled to attend a ceremony Thursday via video link to mark the inauguration of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.

Among the biggest contingent of overseas voters are 1.5 million Turks in Germany, who can cast their ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections at 16 polling sites across the country until May 9. Voting in Turkey itself doesn't take place until May 14.

During the previous election five years ago, a significant majority of Turkish voters in Germany backed Erdogan. It is unclear whether the 69-year-old will receive the same level of backing from them this year.

Opinion polls in Turkey showing a slight lead for Erdogan's main challenger, center-left opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is backed by the cross-party Nation Alliance.

Erdogan has been criticized for his increasingly authoritarian rule and handling of the economy and rampant inflation in recent years.

Germany's Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, who has family roots in Turkey, told the RND media group that a victory for Kilicdaroglu “would pave the way for a return to democracy” in Turkey.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.