Turkey votes for the new president and Parliament

2023-05-14 13:22:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The May 14 elections in Turkey are among the most important in the modern history of this country, which can either oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power and end the increasingly authoritarian path of his Government, or they will enable him to enter the third decade in power.

The vote will not only determine who will lead Turkey - a NATO member state of 85 million people - but also how the country will be run, which direction the economy will take, which has been hit by the cost of living crisis. , and will shape foreign policy.

Polls have given Erdogan's main opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a slight lead. He is the candidate of the alliance consisting of six opposition parties. However, if no candidate manages to win more than 50 percent of the vote, the runoff for the presidential election will be held on May 28.

After the vote, President Erdogan expressed his belief that the result of these elections will be "good for the future of the state", but did not say whether he thinks he will win.

"God willing, after counting the votes tonight, the result will be good for the future of our country, for Turkish democracy," he said.

Meanwhile, Kilicdarogu vowed to restore democracy.

"We all lacked democracy," he told reporters. "You will see, God willing, spring will come for this country," added Kilicdaroglu.

Voters in Turkey will also elect a new Parliament. The race for Parliament is expected to take place between the People's Alliance coalition, which consists of Erdogan's conservative party, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and other nationalist parties, and Kicidaroglu's opposition alliance, the National Alliance. The opposition wing includes the secularist party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), which was created by the founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Polling stations opened at 08:00 and will close at 17:00 local time. According to the law in Turkey, the publication of any results is prohibited until 21:00. In the late hours of Sunday there may be clear indications if there will be a runoff round for the presidential elections.

In Diyarbakir, a predominantly Kurdish city that was hit by February's devastating earthquakes, some residents have said they will vote for the opposition rather than Erdogan.

"A change is needed for our country," said Nuri Can, 26, who cited the economic crisis as one of the reasons he chose to vote for Kilicdaroglu.

But Hayati Arslan, 51, said he will continue for Erdogan and his party.

"The economic situation of the state is not good, but I still believe that Erdogan can fix the situation. Turkey's prestige abroad has reached a very good point with Erdogan and I want this to continue," he said, reports "Reuters".

Many of the provinces hit by the earthquakes, which killed more than 50,000 people, have expressed anger at the Government's response.

Kurdish voters, who are somewhere between 15-20 percent of the electorate, will play a key role in the election and it is likely that the opposition alliance will not be able to win a parliamentary majority on its own.

The pro-Kurdish party, the People's Democratic Party (HDP) is not part of the opposition bloc, but this entity strongly opposes Erdogan, after the persecution of members of this party by the authorities for years.

Erdogan. 69 years old, is facing the biggest political test. He enjoys the support of Turks, who do not want a secular Turkey, and he has survived a series of corruption scandals and a 2016 coup attempt.

However, if Turks oust Erdogan, it is expected to be because they want prosperity, equality and the basics in the face of an economic crisis, with inflation reaching 85 percent last October and the collapse of the Turkish lira.

Kilicdaroglu, 74, has promised that he will change the direction of the economy if he wins the election. He also wants to change the political system and return the state to a parliamentary system. Kilicdaroglu also promised to restore the independence of the judiciary.

Over 64 million people, including 3.2 million members of the Turkish diaspora, have the right to vote in the May 14 elections. Over 1.6 million people have already voted abroad. Traditionally, turnout in Turkish elections is high./REL