TURKEY-ELECTION/POLLS OPEN Turks begin voting in election set to shape Erdogan's legacy

Record ID: 150347

  • Title: TURKEY-ELECTION/POLLS OPEN Turks begin voting in election set to shape Erdogan's legacy
  • Date: 7th June 2015
  • Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (JUNE 7, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING IN HALLWAY OF POLLING STATION WOMAN COMING OUT OF POLLING BOOTH WITH BALLOT PAPER AND CASTING HER VOTE MORE PEOPLE COMING OUT OF POLLING BOOTH, VOTING ELECTION OFFICIAL STAMPING BALLOT PAPER ANKARA, TURKEY (JUNE 7, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS ELECTION OFFICIALS AT DESK PEOPLE QUEUING TO GET BALLOTS VARIOUS PEO
  • Embargoed: 22nd June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAAO6FOKV6KOPFLGIK715HHQ7N8
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Turks began voting on Sunday (June 7) in a parliamentary election that could reshape its political system and determine the future of President Tayyip Erdogan, the country's most popular - and divisive - modern leader.
    Twenty political parties and 165 independent candidates compete for 550 seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the country's parliament.
    Erdogan is hoping the ruling AK Party he founded will win at least two-thirds of the seats in the assembly, allowing it to change the constitution and create a strong executive presidency.
    Under the current constitution, the Turkish president's role is largely ceremonial, though opposition leaders accuse Erdogan of overstepping the limits of his office and breaching his constitutionally-mandated political neutrality.
    Recent opinion polls suggest the AKP is likely to fall well short of a two-thirds majority and could even fail to win the 276 seats required for a simple majority.
    The election is also crucial for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which is hoping to pass the 10 percent threshold required to enter parliament. Previously, Kurdish opposition candidates ran as independents to skirt the rule.
    If it does so, it will deal a serious blow to the AKP, taking some 50 seats which would otherwise go to the ruling party. Polls put the HDP close to that target.
    Led by the charismatic Selahattin Demirtas, the HDP promotes a progressive platform of equal rights for women, protection of the environment and respect for the LBGT community.
    A deadly bombing in the mainly Kurdish southeast on Friday (June 5) has magnified attention on the pro-Kurdish opposition, which is trying to enter parliament as a party for the first time. Efforts to end a three-decade Kurdish insurgency as well as Erdogan's political ambitions could hinge on that party's fate.
    "I think today's election is one of the most important and crucial elections in Turkish history. We will be voting for a lifestyle. Also poll security is very important for this election," said Ankara resident Cem Oz.
    "Turkey will be voting for its future so in my opinion it's not a choice and I hope it will be the best for Turkey, for the neighbouring countries and for the rest of the world," added Ayhan Akdeniz, also from Ankara.
    European election monitors are present.
    "I think it is going to be an exciting election. It will be close but it is not my duty to predict the outcome of course. I'm here as an observer from the Council of Europe, I'm from Norway, and I'm happy to see it seems like the polling stations have a good system and a good standard," said monitor Morten Wold.
    Nationwide, polling stations opened at 0500 GMT and will close at 1400 GMT with an embargo for publishing results currently fixed at 1800 GMT.
    There are 56.632.889 eligible voters in Turkey with 2.867.658 living and voting abroad.
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