Türkiye's parliamentary, presidential elections only month away

By Aylin Dal

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish citizens will cast their votes for the presidential and parliamentary elections in just 30 days.

Four presidential candidates will race in the upcoming elections as a draw by the Türkiye's Supreme Election Council determined the places of the candidates' names on the combined ballot paper.

According to the draw, People's Alliance candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan will come first, Homeland Party chairman Muharrem Ince will be second, Nation Alliance's candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu will be third and the ATA Alliance’s presidential candidate Sinan Ogan will be in the fourth rank.

Some of the political parties in Türkiye will head to elections under various alliances, such as "People's" Alliance, "Nation" Alliance, "ATA" Alliance, "Labor and Freedom" Alliance, and "Socialist Power Union" Alliance.

A total of 26 political parties have submitted their temporary deputy candidates list to Türkiye's election board, however the Independent Türkiye Party and Grand Türkiye Party have decided to not take part in the elections.

Thus, 24 political parties, including the Justice Unity Party, the Justice Party, the Justice and Development (AK) Party, Motherland Party, Great Unity Party, Republican People's (CHP) Party, Young Party, Power Union Party, Rights and Freedoms Party, People's Liberation Party, Good (IYI) Party, Homeland Party, Nation Party, Nationalist Movement (MHP) Party, National Path Party, Left Party, Workers Party of Türkiye, Communist Movement of Türkiye, Communist Party of Türkiye, Vatan (Nation) Party, New Welfare Party, Innovation Party, Greens and Left Future Party, and Victory Party will participate in the upcoming elections.

After finalizing the candidate lists of the political parties, which will be announced after the election board examines the lists, the ballot papers will be finalized on Friday.

The final deputy candidates list will be announced on April 19.

- Mobile ballot boxes

Mobile ballot boxes will also be available during the upcoming election for voters who are bedridden due to their illness or disability. These voters will be able to cast their votes in mobile ballot boxes.

- 2 ballot papers in single envelope

Voters will place two separate ballot papers that they have chosen for the president and deputies in the same envelope, and put them in the ballot box.

The election threshold, which previously was 10%, is going to be 7% in this election. According to the amendment made to the election law, political parties within the alliances do not have to reach 7% separately. All parties within the alliance will be deemed to have passed the threshold when the total votes received by the alliance exceed the general threshold of 7%.

- Election ballot boxes abroad

Ballot committees have been set up for the presidential and parliamentary elections in 74 countries at 177 representations as those Turkish citizens living abroad will be able to cast their votes on April 27-May 9.

The voters until May 9 will be able to vote in 177 representative offices in 74 countries for Turkish elections set for May 14.

In Türkiye, elections are scheduled to start at 8 a.m. local time (0500GMT) and end by 5 p.m. (1400GMT) on May 14.

The Turkish election board set May 28 as the date for a possible runoff if no candidate can secure a majority in the first round.