Ballot boxes closed across Türkiye at 17:00 local time on this Sunday, marking the end of a nine-hour voting window in the second round of the presidential contest. The race pitted the Islamist incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan against his Social Democratic challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in a highly contested outcome that drew national attention.
Approximately 61 million eligible voters were called to participate on what was generally a calm day, despite isolated incidents and opposition claims of irregularities. The atmosphere at polling places tended to be orderly, with the focus squarely on the two leading candidates and the choice before voters as the day progressed.
Election Commission chair Ahmet Yener told local media that the second round concluded without reports of widespread issues. He noted that inquiries and complaints regarding any irregularities would be examined, underscoring the commission’s commitment to transparency as voting districts reported results.
In the first round held on May 14, Erdogan led with 49.5 percent of the vote while Kılıçdaroğlu captured 44.9 percent. When including the roughly 86 percent of ballots counted from abroad, domestic participation was around 89 percent, reflecting a high turnout as the electoral process moved toward a decisive result.
Although queues at polling stations appeared shorter on Sunday, observers attributed this to the nature of a head-to-head choice between two candidates rather than a broader selection for multiple parliamentary seats. The absence of regional ballots for MPs contributed to the brisk pace observed at many stations.
The CHP, the main opposition party, condemned a number of incidents and localized clashes late in the day, though initial assessments suggested these events would not alter the overall outcome. The party’s leadership in various cities described the episodes as provocations and urged calm as counting continued.
Canan Kaftancıoğlu, the leader of the CHP in Istanbul, commented that while there had been limited negativity earlier, tensions rose after mid-afternoon. She emphasized the importance of verifying every vote and maintaining trust in the tally, urging the public to monitor the process closely and ensure the integrity of the final counts.
Public appeals were made to track ballots at each polling station and verify that the votes announced in the count matched those cast by voters. Officials stressed the need for vigilance while affirming the legitimacy of the voting process as results were compiled.
The count was expected to extend over several more hours, with the official law restricting distribution of final results until after 21:00 local time. It was anticipated that the Election Commission would lift any temporary restrictions on official disclosures once the verification of ballots had progressed, mirroring procedures from the first round as results became ready for publication to the public. (Source: YSK)