Voting for Turkish polls begins in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Voting for Turkiye’s presidential and parliamentary elections began at the country’s embassy here and consulate generals in Karachi and Lahore on Saturday morning.

The electoral exercise will continue today with only registered Turkish voters living in Pakistan permanently or temporarily allowed to participate in it from 9am to 9pm.

Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Mehmet Paçac voted first at a polling station set up at the embassy. Other Turkish citizens exercised their right to vote later.

With the Turkish presidential and Grand National Assembly elections slated to be held simultaneously on May 14, polling stations have been set up at Turkiye’s diplomatic missions in 75 countries as decided by the country’s Central Election Commission. Around 65 million Turkish voters, including 3.6 million living abroad, will elect the president for a term of five years. Current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was elected in 2014.

Earlier, elections were delayed by the February earthquake, which claimed over 45,000 lives in the country.