Erdoğan calls on Turks abroad to vote in runoff polls

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reiterated his calls for Turks living abroad to cast votes for the second round of the presidential elections as the four-day voting process for around 3.4 million eligible electors will begin on May 20.

“Voting begins abroad and at the border gates tomorrow [May 20]. I ask you to use your democratic right by closely following the election dates in the countries you are residing. I expect you to show your will once again in a strong way,” Erdoğan said on Twitter on May 19.

Türkiye has established polling stations at its diplomatic missions in 73 countries and at the border gates for around 3.4 million eligible voters. In the first round of the votes on May 14, some 1.8 million Turks had cast their vote.

Voting abroad will end on May 24, but the citizens can cast votes at the border gates until 5 p.m. on May 28.

Erdoğan thanked the Turkish citizens living abroad for casting their votes in the first round and stressed the majority preferred to support him and the People’s Alliance. “You have reinforced the power of the Turkish democracy. You made yourself proud. Your names have already been written in our political history with golden letters,” he stated.

Erdoğan, speaking at an event late on May 17, expressed his belief that he will win the presidential polls against Nation Alliance candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu with a record-high vote.

Recalling that his People’s Alliance garnered 322 seats in the parliament and secured a majority, Erdoğan said: “Our people have already shown its will at the parliament by pledging the majority to us with 322 deputies. In the presidential polls, although we surpassed our closest rival with 2.5 million votes by receiving 49.5 percent of votes, we will have to go to runoff elections due to the 50 percent plus one vote requirement.”

Erdoğan said he fully believes that people will give him another five-year mandate for the presidency. “My people will end this process on May 28. I believe in you. Let’s finish this quickly. Let’s mark such a victory on May 28 that we will celebrate the conquest of May 29 together,” he stated, referring to the celebrations to be held on the anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, which took place on May 29, 1453.

Erdoğan meets Oğan in Istanbul

Meanwhile, Erdoğan has met with Sinan Oğan, the presidential candidate of the nationalist Ata Alliance at the Presidential Dolmabahçe office on May 19.

Oğan is expected to announce the candidate he will support in the second round of the presidential elections.