Voting on decisive parliamentary and presidential elections in Türkiye began at 08:00 local time on Sunday and will run until 17:00. In a country shaping its political future, the polls open as millions of citizens exercise their democratic rights to influence leadership that could extend a long tenure in power for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has steered the nation for two decades. The election day is structured to accommodate a broad participation and reflects Türkiye’s commitment to a transparent and orderly process, with the electoral setup designed to handle a large turnout across urban centers and rural towns alike.
About 61 million eligible voters are registered to cast ballots across more than 192,000 ballot boxes. The process includes the selection of 600 deputies who will form Türkiye’s next parliament, alongside a presidential contest featuring three candidates who could shape the country’s trajectory over the next five years: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the social democrat Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, and the nationalist Sinan Oğan. The evolving dynamic of the campaign highlights a spectrum of policy visions, from continuity in governance to calls for reform and patriotic nationalism, with each candidate presenting a different approach to economic management, foreign policy, and domestic priorities.
Forecasts from polling firms indicate Erdogan or Kılıçdaroğlu as the most likely victor, yet analysts also acknowledge the possibility that no candidate will secure an outright majority in the first round. In such a scenario, a second round could be scheduled within two weeks, giving voters another chance to weigh the options and decide the direction of the presidency. This potential second round is a focal point for campaign strategies, as candidates aim to consolidate support, broaden coalition-building, and mobilize their bases for a decisive outcome.
Sinan Oğan is projected to secure a smaller share of the vote, typically hovering around a few percent, which could nonetheless influence the race by siphoning votes from two front-running contenders and affecting the majority threshold. Although his influence may be modest in numerical terms, his presence complicates tallying and the strategic calculations of the main candidates as they seek to reach the required early majority to avoid a runoff. The impact of a third candidate on party alliances and voter alignment remains a key topic for observers studying Türkiye’s political landscape.
On the parliamentary front, most pundits do not foresee the Islamist-leaning AKP forming an immediate absolute majority with its traditional coalition partner MHP, given the evolving party dynamics and shifting voter loyalties. The HDP appears poised to play a crucial role in the balance of power, potentially shading the eventual parliamentary composition. Meanwhile, the alliance between the social democratic CHP and the nationalist IYI Party does not seem strong enough to secure a majority on its own, leaving coalition-building as the central challenge for lawmakers after polling closes. The eventual parliamentary outcome will significantly influence the government’s capacity to implement policy and pursue legislative agendas in the coming years.
No election news can be officially released until 18:00 local time, and journalists are typically restricted from reporting results before 21:00 local time, which corresponds to 15:00 and 18:00 GMT respectively. This pause on early reporting is intended to ensure the integrity of the vote and the accuracy of initial tallies. However, the Election Commission retains the authority to adjust or lift these reporting rules if necessary to maintain transparency and public trust in the electoral process.