Voting begins to elect Türkiye's new parliament speaker

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Lawmakers on Wednesday began casting their votes to elect new speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Seven candidates are competing for the post, including Numan Kurtulmus, joint nominee of the Justice and Development (AK) Party and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP); Tekin Bingol from the Republican People's Party (CHP), Tulay Hamitogullari Oruc from the Green Left Party (YSP), Mustafa Cihan Pacaci from the IYI (Good) Party, Mustafa Yeneroglu from the Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party, and Serap Yazici Ozbudun from the Gelecek (Future) Party.

In addition, the chairman of the Türkiye Labor Party (TIP) Erkan Bas submitted the petition of the imprisoned MP Serafettin Can Atalay for candidacy to the general secretariat of the parliament.

According to the Turkish Constitution, the parliament speaker is elected via secret ballot up to four rounds – as many as are necessary – on a single day.

In the first two rounds, the candidates will seek two-thirds majority (400) in the 600-seat parliament.

If the election goes to a third round, a simple majority – 301 votes – is sufficient to name the new speaker who will undertake the role for two years.

If majority cannot be obtained, a fourth ballot shall be held on the same day in a runoff vote between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the third. The member who receives the greatest number of votes in the fourth ballot will be elected speaker.