Voting underway in Turkiye to elect new President and Parliament

In Turkiey, polling is taking place for the presidential and parliamentary elections today. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two-decade rule is facing a tough challenge from main rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who heads an alliance of six opposition parties.

Kilicdaroglu, a mild mannered 74-year-old former bureaucrat, has promised to fix Turkiey's faltering economy and restore democratic institutions compromised by a slide to authoritarianism during Erdogan’s tenure. On the other hand, Erdogan has been extolling the virtues of his long rule, independent Foreign Policy and his efforts to bolster Turkey’s defense industry continuously. Recently, he raised the wages of government workers by 45 per cent and lowered the retirement age.

For survivors affected by the 6th of February earthquakes, voting will prove far harder, because many have left their homes and can only vote where they are registered.

In a Presidential election, a candidate must win over 50 per cent of the vote in order to be elected. Otherwise Turkey will head to a run-off on the 28th of May.

The Parliamentary election is also taking place at the same time as the Presidential elections. Turkiey follows a system of proportional representation in Parliament. Parties must obtain not less than seven per cent of votes - either on their own or in alliance with other parties - in order to enter Parliament. (AIR NEWS)

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