The election in Turkey

Erdogan/Kiliçdaroglu TT  

 

Right now: First numbers trickle in - thought to be even  

 

At 4 p.m. Swedish time, the polling stations in Turkey closed. Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a large lead in several polls, but then only 17 percent of the votes have been counted and it is not clear from which districts.  

 

Assessors see it as likely that it will be an even fight, writes Reuters.  

 

60 million of Turkey's inhabitants are entitled to vote and for many the choice has been between Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the main challenger Kemal Kiliçdaroglu. Voter Necati Aktuna describes the election as extremely important, AP writes. 

 

- I have voted for the last 60 years. I have never seen a more important election than this. A preliminary result is only expected at 8 p.m. on Sunday evening, Swedish time. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent, a new round is expected on May 28.  

 

A child casts her mother's vote at a polling station in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, May 14, 2023. Voters in Turkey go to the polls on Sunday for pivotal parliamentary and presidential elections that are expected to be tightly contested and could be the biggest challenge Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces in his two decades in power. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) FS116 Francisco Seco / AP 

 

Votes on the Turkish election 

Expert: Will level out - no conclusions yet  

 

The numbers for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are likely to drop, and the numbers for main challenger Kemal Kiliçdaroglu are likely to increase. That's what analyst Ali Carkoglu says when the first numbers start being reported on Sunday afternoon.  

 

The numbers give Erdogan a clear lead, but Carkoglu says the situation is very uncertain. After half of the votes are counted, however, there is usually no talk of any "dramatic changes", he tells Al Jazeera. 

 

If no candidate gets a majority, a second round is expected on May 28. Then two candidates will be pitted against each other and it will probably be Erdogan and Kiliçdaroglu. 

 

When the first numbers started coming in, it was indicated that Erdogan would get a majority, but it was not clear which districts were counted.