Ankara: The counting of votes is underway in Turkey after the polling for the presidential and parliamentary elections ended.
According to local media reports, polling for the presidential and parliamentary elections began at 8 am and continued until 5 pm without any interruptions. The turnout was more than 88 percent in the elections.
So far, 33 percent of the votes have been counted. According to initial results, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken the lead with 53 percent of the votes, while opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu is second with 41 percent of the votes. A tough competition is expected between the two.
To win the presidency, any candidate must secure at least half of the total votes, and if none of the candidates receive the required number of votes, a run-off election between the two candidates with the highest number of votes will be held on May 28.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces retired government employee Kemal Kilicdaroglu and his six-party alliance opposition for the first time.
Voters across the country held rallies for their candidates. Supporters of Turkey’s President appeared on the streets, who have started celebrating since the initial results were announced.
