Turkish presidential election ends abroad

9:48 p.m.: Voting for the Turkish presidential election abroad has ended. In Germany, around 746,000 of the approximately 1.5 million eligible voters voted between Sunday and Wednesday evening, according to preliminary figures from the Turkish electoral authority. In the first round, around 725,000 people cast their votes in Germany.

Eligible voters were able to cast their votes in polling stations in the runoff between incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu until Wednesday evening.

According to preliminary figures, a total of 1.74 million people cast their votes abroad shortly before the polling stations closed. That was more than the official numbers voted for in the first round (1.67 million). There had been long queues at polling stations like in Berlin in the past few days.

In the first round on May 14, Erdogan was clearly ahead abroad (57.7 percent). Overall, he came to 49.52 percent, his challenger Kilicdaroglu to 44.88 percent. On Wednesday, Erdogan was satisfied with the result abroad in the first round and the participation so far in the second. He continued to call on his supporters to go to the polls.

Turkey will vote on May 28th. Only then will the results from abroad be published.

Voting at border crossings, ports and airports in Turkey also runs until May 28th.

Türkiye–Choice: A similar number of voters as in the first ballot

Wednesday, May 24, 2:52 p.m.: A similar number of Turks living in Lower Saxony, Bremen and Saxony-Anhalt took part in the run-off election for the Turkish presidency as in the first ballot. A spokesman for the responsible Turkish consulate general in Hanover said on Wednesday, the last day of voting abroad. More than 100,000 voters live in the three federal states. You can choose between the incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the challenger.

People could cast their votes at the Hanover Fair, among other places. Most voters came at the weekend. Voting is open until 10 p.m. on Wednesday.

In the first ballot, incumbent Erdogan received 65 percent of the votes from voters in Germany – significantly more than in Turkey, where he received less than 50 percent. Around 1.5 million people are eligible to vote nationwide.

Third place in Türkiye– Wahl gives recommendation for Erdogan

6:07 p.m.: The third-place finisher in the first ballot for the presidency in Turkey has expressed his support for the runoff election for incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Sinan Ogan called on his constituents on Monday to vote for Erdogan in the May 28 vote. Observers had assumed that most of the voters for the right-wing candidate would switch to the Erdogan camp anyway.

As a candidate from an ultra-nationalist party alliance, Sinan Ogan received a good five percent of the vote in the first round, but his electorate is said to be fragmented. It is disputed whether Ogan’s public election recommendation has an influence on those who did not want to vote for Erdogan anyway. Also because the alliance around Ogan announced its dissolution shortly before his speech.

One of the former allies then called Ogan’s statement his “own political preference”. Another ex-alliance member announced his support for the CHP’s Erdogan challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu on Sunday.

Ogan had previously linked an election recommendation to assurances. He demanded that all refugees have to leave the country or that the “fight against terror” must be stepped up. There were no assurances, he said. However, it has been achieved that the “person” is not “determined” by the pro-Kurdish HDP. Kilicdaroglu started with the support of the HDP. Like Erdogan, Ogan sees her as an extension of the banned Kurdish Workers’ Party PKK. The HDP repeatedly rejects this representation.

Erdogan should benefit from some votes from the Ogan camp. After winning the first round, he will be the favorite in next Sunday’s election. The incumbent landed a good 4.5 percentage points ahead of second-placed Kilicdaroglu. The alliance around the 69-year-old was also able to secure a majority in parliament – a factor that analysts also see as an advantage for him in the runoff election. Should Kilicdaroglu become president, parliament could block many of his decisions.

Kilicdaroglu tweeted shortly after Ogan’s announcement that it was now clear who was on Turkey’s side and who was selling the country, without mentioning Ogan by name. CHP leader Kilicdaroglu called on around 8.3 million non-voters in the country to cast their vote. Erdogan got 2.5 million more votes than Kilicdaroglu in the first ballot.

Large rush to vote in the southwest for the runoff in Türkiye

Monday May 22, 2023 6:36 am: Voting for the runoff election for the Turkish presidency has begun in Germany. In Baden-Württemberg, too, numerous people cast their votes on Saturday. Hundreds lined up in the long line in front of the polling station in the Zuffenhausen district of Stuttgart, and in Karlsruhe voters sometimes had to wait several hours. There are two of several locations in Germany where Turkish nationals can vote on the future Turkish president. According to the police, there were no incidents.

By May 24, the 1.5 million eligible voters across Germany are called upon to vote at the polls between incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu from the CHP. Erdogan is the favorite ahead of the second round at home and abroad after narrowly missing out on an outright majority in the first round on May 14.

His lead is also due to the votes from Germany: in the first ballot, only about half of the 3.4 million Turks abroad who were eligible to vote went to the polls. 57.7 percent of them voted for the incumbent head of state. Kilicdaroglu got almost 40 percent of the votes. In Germany, too, only about every second person entitled to vote cast their vote, but 65 percent of them for Erdogan according to preliminary figures. In the forthcoming elections, observers expect similar voting behavior from voters abroad. Most of the Turkish foreign voters live in Germany.

Challenger Kilicdaroglu urged the Turks abroad to participate in the elections. Voting for the runoff is a “national duty” for citizens wherever they are in the world, Kemal said in a speech published on Twitter Friday night.

For Turkey, it is the first run-off election for the presidency in its history. In Germany, around 61 million people are called to vote. There are also around 3.4 million eligible voters living abroad. According to the State Statistical Office, around 246,185 Turks who are eligible to vote live in Baden-Württemberg.

Turks abroad were able to vote in specially set up polling stations for the first time in 2014. The regulation goes back to Erdogan. Sinem Adar writes for the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik that it is one of the systematic measures taken by the current head of state, which are aimed at migrants from Turkey and their children born abroad. Unlike the opposition, Erdogan makes politics for the Turks abroad, which pays off for him at the ballot box. In Turkey, the possibility of voting at the ballot box abroad is repeatedly criticized, especially by members of the opposition.

Media Advocate: Turkish opposition did too little for victory

Sunday, May 21, 5:24 p.m.: Turkish human rights lawyer Veysel Ok blames the opposition in Turkey for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s good results in last Sunday’s elections. The social-democratic CHP of challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu had done nothing about their low media presence, Ok said on Sunday in an interview with the Catholic News Agency (KNA). “The CHP has enough money. It provides the mayors in eleven major cities,” said the advocate for media and press freedom. “It would be so easy. A television station is also necessary. Erdogan could be seen live on 25 channels at the same time. When Kilicdaroglu spoke, only a few small stations showed it.”

The people in Turkey currently have no opportunity to obtain comprehensive information, Ok continued. 90 percent of all media in Turkey reported pro-government. “For a year I’ve been talking my mouth off about the opposition in Turkey setting up a real news agency. But she didn’t do that.” It wasn’t Erdogan’s fault, it was the opposition itself.

Ok works in Istanbul as a lawyer for media and press freedom. He defended more than 100 journalists, including Deniz Yücel, who was arrested in Turkey in 2017 and issued another arrest warrant by the Turkish judiciary on Friday. The lawyer founded the non-governmental organization “Media and Law Studies Association”, which campaigns against intimidation, violence, surveillance and censorship in the media sector and systematically monitors court cases against journalists.

With a view to possible irregularities in the election, Ok said: “Perhaps the opposition’s allegations of manipulation on election night are correct. But she hasn’t proven it yet. No one has put any evidence on the table.” Voter fraud is possible, especially in smaller towns, and there are plausible objections to it. “But so far none of the parties has spoken of comprehensive election fraud. Erdogan got 49.4 percent, Kilicdaroglu 44.96 percent. And even minor forgeries don’t change this sad overall picture.”

On May 28, Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu will go to a runoff for an absolute majority. Many observers are assuming a victory for Erdogan, who has been Prime Minister or President of Turkey for 20 years.

400 meters! Mega queue in front of the Hamburg consulate because of the runoff election

1:38 p.m.: Around 1.5 million Turks in Germany can cast their votes in the run-off election for the office of Turkish President from Saturday to May 28th. In Hamburg, many apparently want to do this on the first day.

In the Rotherbaum district, voters queue up in front of the consulate to get to the ballot box. The snake is around 400 meters long.

Voters have the choice between incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who received 49.52 percent of the vote in the election, and Kemal Kilicdaroglu (44.88 percent). President Erdogan is still the favorite for victory and a new term in office.

Runoff in the Türkiye – Voting begins in Germany

Saturday, May 20, 1:16 p.m.: Voting for the runoff election for the Turkish presidency has begun in Germany. In Berlin, the possibility met with great interest on Saturday. Hundreds of Turkish voters have been coming to the Consulate General on Heerstrasse in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district since the morning. Long queues formed in front of the building.

By May 24, the 1.5 million voters in Germany are called upon to vote at the polls between incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu from the CHP. Erdogan is the favorite ahead of the second round at home and abroad after narrowly missing out on an outright majority in the first round on May 14.

Challenger Kilicdaroglu urged the Turks abroad to participate in the elections. Voting for the runoff is a “national duty” for citizens wherever they are in the world, Kemal said in a speech published on Twitter Friday night.

For Turkey, it is the first run-off election for the presidency in its history. In Germany, around 61 million people are called to vote. There are also around 3.4 million eligible voters living abroad.