No delay in election data entry: Turkey supreme electoral board

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
15 May 02:14

The supreme electoral board of Turkey insists that there is no delay in the data entry when it comes to the Turkish election.

Supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rallying outside AKP (Justice and Development Party) headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, May 14, 2023 (AP)

There are no delays in the entry of data from the Turkish general election taking place on Sunday, the head of the Turkish elections authority said.

"There are currently no disruptions or delays in data entry by the Supreme Electoral Board," Ahmet Yener told reporters about the results of the general election, a combination of the parliamentary and presidential elections.

The May 14 general election votes are being counted six hours after the polls were closed.

Data is being instantly shared with political parties, Ahmet Yener explained.

This comes after it was announced that the presidential race was heading into a runoff after both parties failed to get over the 50% threshold.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is leading Kemal Kilicdaroglu with 49.44% of the vote, with 96.15% of the ballots counted, while the opposition leader lagged behind with 44.86% of the vote. The second round is set for May 28.

The results of the counted ballots so far show Erdogan at the forefront of the presidential race, mainly against Kilicdaroglu, but with a percentage of votes insufficient to declare him as President from the first round.

According to the TRT network, the preliminary turnout in Turkey's presidential and legislative elections on Sunday exceeded 88% at home and 45% overseas.

A total of 191,885 ballot boxes have been installed around the country, it added.

Every Turkish voter cast two ballots, one for the president and the other for parliamentarians, for a five-year term.

Over 30 Turkish political parties and over 150 independent parliamentary candidates competed in the race.

The People's Alliance, Nation Alliance, Ancestral Alliance, Labor, and Freedom Alliance, and Union of Socialist Forces Alliance were the five multiparty blocs in the running.