Ballot boxes reinstalled at Istanbul Airport, customs gates

ISTANBUL

Ballot boxes have been reestablished at Istanbul Airport and customs gates to allow voters living abroad to cast their ballots in the second round of the Turkish presidential election.

The watchdog placed more than 4,600 polling stations at 46 border gates.

The voting process at customs for citizens abroad will kick off on May 20 and end on May 28, when the runoff will begin at home.

Over 18,000 Turkish citizens cast their ballots at Istanbul Airport in the first round, according to unofficial results, with Nation Alliance’s candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu leading with more than half.

Though the Supreme Election Council’s (YSK) previous schedule specified the period when expatriates would be able to cast their ballots at foreign representation offices between May 20 and 24, the Turkish Embassy in Washington announced that Turks would be able to cast their votes on May 20 and 21.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy chairs Muharrem Erkek and Bülent Tezcan appealed to the YSK to extend the voting time. The election board then again outlined the voting period in these countries back to the date on the original calendar.

More than 1.8 million citizens cast their votes at Türkiye’s overseas representations and customs for the May 14 elections, which indicates a participation rate of 52.6 percent.