Turkey police seeking 5 people suspected of 'election disinformation'
The second round of Turkey's presidential runoff kicked off this morning at 8 a.m and will close at 5 p.m local time (05:00 - 14:00 GMT).
Turkish sources reported on Sunday that the chief public prosecutor's office of Istanbul has issued arrest warrants for five individuals suspected of disseminating false information on social media during the second round of the country's presidential election.
The Milliyet newspaper said that an investigation has been launched into the social media accounts that shared false information about the elections, noting that the intent behind such actions was to disrupt public order and distort public perceptions.
🔴A manipulated video of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu with members of the PKK has resurfaced in Turkey ahead of the presidential run-offs, with the country witnessing a widespread disinformation campaign.#PKK | #Erdogan |#kemalkilicdarogluhttps://t.co/EpJsW8MFskhttps://t.co/cYYEg8eGn2 pic.twitter.com/h6WPJfRB7S
— MedyaNews (@1MedyaNews) May 23, 2023
The second round of Turkey's presidential runoff kicked off this morning at 8 a.m. and will close at 5 p.m. local time (05:00 - 14:00 GMT).
In the first round which was held on May 14, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won 49.52% of the vote, while opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu scored 44.88%.
The victory of today's election will be determined by the candidate who wins a simple majority.
Read more: Erdogan visits grave of Islamic idol on eve of Turkey's 2nd vote round