Overseas votes brought back to Türkiye

By Gokhan Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - The process to bring overseas votes back to Türkiye completed on Thursday after voting ended at foreign representative offices for the country’s May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections.

The last of the sealed sacks containing the votes cast were brought from Canada to Istanbul Airport via Turkish Airlines.

The bags, sealed under the supervision of election officials and kept in a room with a steel door having seven locks, were accompanied by special couriers and political party representatives.

The bags will now be delivered to foreign district election board in Ankara.

Over 1.76 million Turks living abroad cast their votes to elect the country’s new president and parliamentary representatives.

The elections in Türkiye will take place on Sunday. On the presidential ballot, voters will choose between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is seeking reelection, main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and Sinan Ogan. Muharrem Ince, another presidential contender, withdrew from the race on Thursday.

Meanwhile, 24 political parties and 151 independent candidates are vying for seats in the 600-member Turkish parliament.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar