Overseas votes kept in room protected with 5 locks
Oya Armutçu- ANKARA
All sealed bags containing nearly 1.8 million overseas votes have reached the capital Ankara, with the bags kept safe in a tight security room protected with five locks.
One key of the room is held by the chairman of the Supreme Election Board’s (YSK) Overseas District Election Directorate, while other keys are kept by the representatives of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the İYİ (Good) Party.
The door can be opened when these five representatives come together at the same time and unbar their locks.
The bags of overseas votes stored at the ATO Congressium will be sorted by countries they came from on May 12.
Security guards are on duty 24/7 at ATO Congresium, both at the entrance doors and inside.
Within the scope of the presidential and parliamentary elections to be held on May 14, ballot boxes were established in 73 countries and 156 locations for more than 3.4 million voters registered in the foreign electoral roll.
Turks living in 73 countries, mostly in Europe, Africa and North America, cast their ballots for the elections at the Turkish diplomatic missions between April 27 and May 9.
Votes brought from abroad will be opened simultaneously with other ballot boxes after the completion of the voting process in the country on May 14 at 5 p.m.
In customs, citizens will be able to cast their votes until the same period with the country.
In case the presidential elections go to the second round, slated for May 28, Turks abroad will be able to vote between May 20 and 24.
The turnout for Turkish citizens living abroad has increased by 53 percent, which marks the highest since the 2011 elections, according to the YSK figures. In the 2018 presidential and parliamentary votes, the turnout remained at a 50 percent level.
