Turkish night club offers freebie to Erdoğan voters

BOCHUM

On the eve of Turkey’s presidential elections, in which expat votes are expected to play a key role, a Turkish night club in Germany has offered free membership to anyone who votes for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

“Club Taksim Bochum,” which bills itself as “Europe’s largest Turkish entertainment venue,” has published an ad on its website, supporting Erdoğan’s bid as “the new president of the new Turkey.”

“Vote, take a photo [of the ballot], bring it to us and take your free membership for a year,” the ad says.

Club Taksim Bochum will host a “party night,” featuring Turkish pop, Turkish house, hip hop, R&B and Latino music on Aug. 9, one day before voters go to the polls in Turkey, according to the schedule on the night club’s website. Overseas voters will be able to vote in the first round for the elections between July 31 and Aug. 3.

Turkish expatriates will be entitled to vote in presidential elections for the first time ever, with polling stations to be opened at 103 different diplomatic representations in 54 different countries. Some 71 diplomatic mission buildings will serve as voting centers, while 32 other venues will be rented for voting as well.

Turkish authorities have made arrangements for 2,700,000 votes, which will amount to around 5 percent of the overall vote.