Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport sees busy hours due to landmark Turkey elections

ISTANBUL

Thousands have filled the terminals of Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport on June 24, the day of Turkey’s landmark snap presidential and parliamentary elections. 

Citizens have returned from their vacations to be able to cast their votes in the election, which is seen as a turning point in Turkish politics. Travelers have joined crowds at the Istanbul airport, consisting of registered Turkish voters whose residencies are listed abroad.

Those who have their residencies registered abroad will be able to cast their votes at custom gates in the twin elections until 5 p.m. local time.

Meanwhile, ticket prices have gone up, by two or even three times fold, CNN Türk has reported.

Some airlines have made changes to tickets free of charge to help ease the voting process, the report said.

The elections, taking place under an ongoing state of emergency, were originally scheduled to be held 17 months later from June 24.

Following a joint call by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli on April 18, a proposal to hold snap elections was accepted in parliament on April 20.

Firsts in Turkish politics: Alliances and twin votes

For the first time, presidential and parliamentary ballots are being placed in a single envelope as eight international monitors and some million registered ballot box watchers stand on duty. 

While two electoral alliances are going into the parliamentary elections, there are six names running for the presidential office in Ankara’s Beştepe district.

As Erdoğan is up for the seat from the “People’s Alliance,” racing on behalf of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the MHP, Muharrem İnce is running from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), while Meral Akşener is offering her candidacy from the center-right Good (İYİ) Party, Temel Karamollaoğlu from the conservative Felicity Party (SP), Doğu Perinçek from the Patriotic (Vatan) Party, and Selahattin Demirtaş from behind the bars for the Kurdish issue-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).