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Voters in Turkey Head to the Polls for Crucial Election Turkey’s Ruling Party Appears to Lose Parliamentary Majority, Early Results Show
(about 3 hours later)
ISTANBUL — Millions of Turks headed to the polls on Sunday to vote in a critical parliamentary election that will determine whether the governing party can rewrite the Constitution to strengthen the powers of the president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. ISTANBUL — Partial results in Turkey’s parliamentary election Sunday showed that the ruling Justice and Development Party stood to lose its single-party majority in Parliament after 12 years of being in power, according to TRT, a state-run broadcaster.
Mr. Erdogan, who was elected president last year and holds a largely ceremonial post, is not on the ballot, but he is seeking a big majority for the governing Justice and Development Party, known by its Turkish initials, A.K.P., so that he can rewrite the Constitution and establish a strong executive presidency. With over 90 percent of the votes counted, the A.K.P. has 41 percent of the vote, a result that is likely to deny the party enough seats to form the next government by itself and realize President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ambitions of changing the Constitution to establish an executive presidency.
More than 53 million Turkish citizens are eligible to vote in the election. The A.K.P. is expected to win more votes than any opposition party, but its prospects for gaining a majority large enough to allow it to change the Constitution will be affected by the success of Turkey’s Kurdish Party, the People’s Democratic Party, known by the initials H.D.P. The pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party, or H.D.P., appears to be on track to surpass the 10 percent threshold needed to secure representation in Parliament for the first time.
If the H.D.P. surpasses a 10 percent threshold that would secure representation for the party in Parliament, then its lawmakers could pose a significant challenge to the A.K.P.’s ambitions to enact constitutional changes through a referendum. Sirri Sureyya Onder, a party deputy, said the H.D.P. expects to win 80 seats in Parliament. “This is the victory of peace against war,” he said, speaking to a group of reporters after preliminary results were published.
The election comes during a particularly tense time in Turkish politics, with much at stake for the governing party after a 12-year period of single-party rule.The election comes during a particularly tense time in Turkish politics, with much at stake for the governing party after a 12-year period of single-party rule.
On Friday, during the last leg of election campaigning, two bombs went off in the country’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, killing two people and injuring more than 100 H.D.P. supporters during a political rally.On Friday, during the last leg of election campaigning, two bombs went off in the country’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, killing two people and injuring more than 100 H.D.P. supporters during a political rally.
“I’ve never seen so much tension on the streets,” said Berna Ince, 44, a teacher, who cast her vote in the Sariyer district of Istanbul on Sunday. “At times it felt like we were going to war instead of going to vote.”“I’ve never seen so much tension on the streets,” said Berna Ince, 44, a teacher, who cast her vote in the Sariyer district of Istanbul on Sunday. “At times it felt like we were going to war instead of going to vote.”
The leader of the Kurdish party, Selahattin Demirtas, called for calm after casting his vote in Istanbul on Sunday.The leader of the Kurdish party, Selahattin Demirtas, called for calm after casting his vote in Istanbul on Sunday.
“Everyone will cast their votes with their free will,” Mr. Demirtas said. “All we wish for is that when the ballots are counted in the evening, the results will contribute to domestic peace, freedom and democracy.”“Everyone will cast their votes with their free will,” Mr. Demirtas said. “All we wish for is that when the ballots are counted in the evening, the results will contribute to domestic peace, freedom and democracy.”
Though the Constitution requires that the president remain impartial in the election, Mr. Erdogan has campaigned aggressively on behalf of the Justice and Development Party and accused other parties of conspiring to topple Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.Though the Constitution requires that the president remain impartial in the election, Mr. Erdogan has campaigned aggressively on behalf of the Justice and Development Party and accused other parties of conspiring to topple Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
“Erdogan’s salvos over the past week show how nervous he is about the outcome of this election,” said Ugur Kaplan, 24, a student who voted in Istanbul on Sunday. “The A.K.P. has lost votes, and it’s because of him. People are tired of having their lives dictated by one nutty man. It’s time for change.”“Erdogan’s salvos over the past week show how nervous he is about the outcome of this election,” said Ugur Kaplan, 24, a student who voted in Istanbul on Sunday. “The A.K.P. has lost votes, and it’s because of him. People are tired of having their lives dictated by one nutty man. It’s time for change.”