Insight

Turkish citizens voted in the June 24 polls to elect the president and members of parliament. A new system for Turkish politics, an executive presidency, has also come into effect with #TurkeyElections.

Supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrate at Taksim square in Istanbul, Turkey June 24, 2018. (Reuters)

June 25

1225 GMT:

Sadi Guven, head of the Supreme Election Council, YSK, said on Monday that the official results of Sunday’s elections will be announced on July 5.

“As of Sunday, we shared 98 percent of the election results with the political parties. In a few hours we will have shared 100 percent [of the results]," Guven told reporters in the Turkish capital Ankara.

"100 percent of the domestic records were entered in the system," Guven added.

Sadi Guven, head of the Supreme Election Council, speaks to reporters in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 25, 2018. (AA)

Guven also said 99.91 percent of the presidential election results had been recorded in the council’s system as of Monday.

Also praising the “healthy” conduct of the presidential and parliamentary elections, Guven said after the election results are finalised, they will be opened for citizens to see.

Earlier, Guven said that with 99.2 percent of ballot boxes opened, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won an absolute majority in the presidential election with 52.5 percent of the vote, while his top rival Muharrem Ince lagged behind at 30.6 percent.

1130 GMT:

Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday to congratulate him on his election victory, presidential sources, speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, told Anadolu Agency.

The duo also confirmed their determination to further develop relations between the countries.

Both leaders emphasised the importance of cooperation on regional issues, especially Syria.

Vladimir Putin congratulated Recep Tayyip Erdogan on winning the presidential election in Turkey https://t.co/jIhWEVq3Bh — President of Russia (@KremlinRussia_E) June 25, 2018

Putin's call to Erdogan came after the Kremlin said the Russian leader congratulated Erdogan on his presidential election win.

According to a Kremlin statement, Putin said the outcome of Sunday's vote confirms Erdogan’s great political authority, and broad support for the course pursued under his leadership to solve social and economic issues facing Turkey, and also for enhancing the country’s foreign policy position.

Putin further confirmed his readiness to continue bilateral dialogue and joint regional and international work.

1045 GMT:

The European Commission said on Monday it hoped Turkey would remain a committed partner after the election.

"We hope that under President Erdogan's leadership Turkey will remain a committed partner for the European Union on major issues of common interest such as migration, security, regional stability and the fight against terrorism," a spokesman for the European Commission told a regular briefing.

0955 GMT:

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Monday congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his re-election.

"I will congratulate President Erdogan on his re-election as president. I also congratulate the Turkish people on the high turnout in the elections," Stoltenberg said as he arrived for a meeting with EU foreign and defence ministers in Luxembourg.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg answers journalists during a Foreign Affairs and Defense ministers meeting in Luxembourg on June 25, 2018. (AFP)

0950 GMT:

Four German citizens were detained in Turkey during Sunday's elections, a German foreign ministry spokeswoman said, with one of them subsequently released.

"I can confirm that three German citizens were arrested," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Adebahr told a regular news conference.

"I cannot confirm that these were election observers in the sense of being member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) mission," she added.

The fourth German citizen, a businesswoman, had been released and was not banned from leaving the country, she added.

Turkish officials had taken legal action against 20 foreign nationals who had tried to meddle in the elections in eastern Turkish cities of Agri, Sirnak, Batman and Diyarbakir, Turkey’s public Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday.

Turkish officials had said they hadn't had accreditation and had claimed that they had been observers of the OSCE.

0900 GMT:

Muharrem Ince, the presidential candidate for Turkey's main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), accepted the results of the elections and conceded defeat in a televised press conference on Monday.

“I accept the election results,” Muharrem Ince said, addressing a news conference at the CHP headquarters in capital Ankara.

Ince said there were no significant differences between the Supreme Election Council's (YSK) results and that of the CHP observers'.

Former presidential candidate of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Muharrem Ince arrives to hold a press conference at CHP headquarters in capital Ankara, Turkey on June 25, 2018. (AA)

0005 GMT:

In an election victory speech early on Monday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the winner of the election was democracy and all of Turkey's 81 million citizens.

"The victor of the elections is democracy. The victor of the elections is national will. The victors of the election are 81 million Turkish citizens ... and all oppressed people," Erdogan told his supporters from the balcony of his governing AK Party's headquarters in Ankara.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine greet supporters gathered in front of the AKP headquarters in Ankara, Turkey on June 25, 2018. (Reuters)

Erdogan thanked the Turkish people for standing by them throughout difficult periods, including the Gezi events and the July 15 coup attempt.

“We resisted vandals and treason together. You stood by our side in the 2015 elections, and especially the November 1 elections. We gave a lesson to those who rubbed their hands in anticipation of seeing Turkey kneel,” he added.

The Turkish leader also expressed gratitude to Turkish citizens for the highest voter turnout in Turkish political history.

Erdogan reiterated that Turkey would continue to fight terror organisations in a determined manner.

“We will confront terror groups with more decisively; we will increase our country's international reputation,” he added.

June 24

2219 GMT:

Muharrem Ince, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), announces that he will hold a news conference on election results at the party's headquarters in Ankara on Monday.

“I will hold a press conference at the CHP headquarters at 0900GMT (1200 pm local)," Ince said in a tweet early on Monday.

Bugün saat 12.00’de CHP Genel Merkezi’nde basın toplantısı düzenleyeceğim. — Muharrem İNCE (@vekilince) June 24, 2018

2130 GMT:

Supporters of the AK Party in both Turkey and abroad took to the streets late on Sunday to celebrate the victory of their party and leader.

Thousands of people – in the capital Ankara, Istanbul and the central provinces of Nevsehir, Kayseri, Sivas and Nigde and the western provinces of Izmir, Sakarya and Kocaeli and the Black Sea provinces of Zonguldak, Karabuk and Duzce –celebrated Erdogan's success.

Supporters waved both AK Party and Turkish flags.

Supporters of the Turkish president and the leader of the Justice and Development (AK) Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrate as unofficial results show him leading the presidential election in the main opposition CHP party's stronghold city, Izmir on June 24, 2018. (AA)

Turks in Europe also celebrated Erdogan's success.

More than 200 Turks celebrated in the streets of London following the release of unofficial election results that showed Erdogan’s success.

Supporters in London’s Hyde Park chanted slogans in support of Erdogan and the AK Party. They also danced and sang Turkish songs.

In Germany, AK Party's supporters also celebrated Erdogan's election success.

The overjoyed supporters took to the streets of capital Berlin and Kerpen near Cologne, chanting slogans and honking their cars.

In Paris, a group of Turks celebrated Erdogan's success. They gathered at the Turkish-French Institute, waving Turkish and AK Party flags.

In Macedonia, hundreds of Erdogan and AK Party supporters gathered in Skopje to celebrate their election success. People at the city centre waved Turkish and AK Party flags as well as Erdogan posters.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people in Serbia's Muslim-majority city in the south of the country, Novi Pazar, also gathered in the city centre to celebrate Erdogan's success.

Separately, citizens of Bosnia's capital Sarajevo, as well as Turkish citizens with temporary residence, flocked to the streets to celebrate the election success of the AK Party and the president Erdogan.

In Switzerland, a group of people celebrated the results in the streets of Zurich and waved Turkish flags. In Austria, Turks in capital Vienna were also jubilant over Erdogan's success in Turkish elections.

Supporters of AK Party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan celebrate as unofficial results show Erdogan leading the presidential election at Kurfuerstendamm Avenue in Berlin, Germany on June 24, 2018. (AA)

2045 GMT:

Religious leaders of non-Muslim communities in Turkey congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his success in presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday.

Istanbul's Armenian Catholic Archbishop Levon Zekiyan, Vicar of Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Aram Ateshian, the head of the Jewish Community of Turkey Ishak Ibrahimzadeh, Turkish Syriac-Catholic Church Patriarchal Vicar Orhan Canli, the head of the Armenian Foundations Union Bedros Sirinoglu and chief rabbi of the Jewish community in Turkey Ishak Haleva are among the religious leaders who congratulated Erdogan.

Devlet Bahceli, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader, speaks during a press conference in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 24, 2018. (AA)

2010 GMT:

Devlet Bahceli, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader, hailed the election victory of the People's Alliance on Turkey’s “historic day.”

Speaking to reporters in capital Ankara, Bahceli declared the victory of the alliance between the governing Justice and Development Party and the MHP an “honour.”

He said the People's Alliance won the elections in the first round, leaving those expecting a crisis “bewildered.”

He also praised the high turnout in the elections.

“As of today, Turkey has officially moved into a [new] presidential system,” Bahceli said.

The Turkish nation has seen its future in the new presidential system, he said, adding, “Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become the first president of the new system.”

1935 GMT:

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday evening declared victory in Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

“Our nation gave me the responsibility of the executive office,” Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul, citing unofficial results, which would make him Turkey’s first leader under a presidential system of government.

“I want to express my gratitude to all the citizens who went to the ballot box to cast votes and fulfill their duty as citizens. I especially thank those who voted and elected me and our alliance. Security during the elections and the freedom to cast votes is a symbol of the maturity of Turkish democracy,” he said.

He also stated that his governing Justice and Development (AK) Party and the People’s Alliance – an alliance between the AK Party and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) – also secured a parliamentary majority, according to unofficial results.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey on June 24, 2018. (AA)

He also said Turkey gave lessons in democracy to the world with its almost 90 percent voter turnout.

“While countries that carry out elections with about 30 ... to 50 percent voter turnout present themselves as pro-democracy, Turkey taught a lesson in democracy with a turnout of about 90 percent,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish leader called on everyone to leave behind all election campaign arguments, tensions and resentment to focus on the country’s future.

“We have to leave behind discussions, tensions and problems. We have to look forward for the future of the country,” he added.

1900 GMT:

As results of Turkey’s historic elections were announced, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the Turkish nation won, and he promised that the AK Party will continue to serve the country.

“The winners of this election are those who have been maltreated all around the world,” Cavusoglu said.

1850 GMT:

AK Party spokesman Mahir Unal called on all political parties to respect Sunday’s election results.

Unal spoke to reporters in the capital Ankara late on Sunday as results showed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the lead, and the governing party also in the lead in parliamentary polls.

He said the security of not only AK Party votes but votes for all political parties are “our honour.”

Unal denied rumours of manipulation of election results.

“Blaming state institutions Supreme Election Council, YSK, and Anadolu Agency is a severe provocation,” Unal said, adding it was “not acceptable.”

He called on all political party leaders to be “careful and responsible.”

“Will these politicians take responsibility if tomorrow any kind of attack towards the YSK or Anadolu Agency occurs?” Unal said.

1845 GMT:

With 91 percent of the votes counted, the governing AK Party’s candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan got around 53 percent, CHP’s Muharrem Ince 30 percent, Iyi Party’s Meral Aksener 7.5 percent, HDP’s Selahattin Demirtas 7 percent and Saadet Party’s Temel Karamollaoglu 1 percent.

Results for #TurkeyElections with 91.2% of the votes counted.



Presidential elections:



Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 53.2%

Muharrem Ince: 30.5%

Selahattin Demirtas: 7.7%

Meral Aksener: 7.5%

Temel Karamollaoglu: 0.9%

Dogu Perincek: 0.2%https://t.co/b27csUr64R - #Seçim2018 pic.twitter.com/ydSqGGTovM — TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) June 24, 2018

1800 GMT:

Some world leaders, including Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Bosnia's Bakir Izetbegovic, Albanian Premier Edi Rama, congratulated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on election success.

Also, Qatari, Iranian, Greek and Guinean foreign ministers called and congratulated their Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on the governing Justice and Development Party's election success.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks with citizens after casting his vote at a polling station during the parliamentary and presidential elections, at Uskudar district in Istanbul, Turkey on June 24, 2018. (AA)

1637 GMT:

Nearly 650 international journalists are covering Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday at “Election 2018” press centres in the capital Ankara, Istanbul and the southeastern province of Diyarbakir, set up by Turkey’s Directorate General of Press and Information (BYEGM) and Anadolu Agency.

According to BYEGM figures, around 650 foreign journalists, including Turkey-based ones, from 34 countries are following the polls.

French media showed the greatest interest in the Turkish elections with 43 press members having been accredited while 36 journalists from the United Kingdom, 23 from Germany, 12 from Spain, 10 from Greece and nine from each the United States and Belgium are covering elections in Turkey.

Journalists report the Turkish elections at a press center in the capital Ankara, where nearly 650 accredited international journalists are following the Turkish elections on June 24, 2018. (AA)

1635 GMT:

Public broadcaster Turkish Radio Television (TRT) said voter turnout on Sunday was high at around 87 percent in Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections.

1630 GMT:

With 44 percent of the votes counted; the governing AK Party’s candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan got around 57 percent, CHP’s Muharrem Ince 28 percent, Iyi Party’s Meral Aksener 7.4 percent and HDP’s Selahattin Demirtas 6 percent.

Results for #TurkeyElections with 44.7% of the votes counted.



Presidential elections:



Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 56.8%

Muharrem Ince: 28.4%

Meral Aksener: 7.5%

Selahattin Demirtas: 6.2%

Temel Karamollaoglu: 0.9%

Dogu Perincek: 0.2%https://t.co/LRSWfwiCod - #Seçim2018 pic.twitter.com/VyFEUUlLJM — TRT World (@trtworld) June 24, 2018

1545 GMT:

Turkey’s Supreme Election Council, YSK, lifted the ban on poll news and the first results are streaming in.

With 20 percent of the votes counted; the governing AK Party’s candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan got around 60 percent, CHP’s Muharrem Ince 25 percent, Iyi Party’s Meral Aksener 7.7 percent and HDP’s Selahattin Demirtas 5 percent.

FIRST RESULTS IN for #TurkeyElections. 21.8% of the votes counted.



Presidential Elections:



Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 59.1%

Muharrem Ince: 26.5%

Meral Aksener: 7.7%

Selahattin Demirtas: 5.5%

Temel Karamollaoglu: 0.9%

Dogu Perincek: 0.2%https://t.co/A8JFaOmCcM - #Seçim2018 pic.twitter.com/410cfwqRqI — TRT World (@trtworld) June 24, 2018

1500 GMT:

Officials took legal action against 20 foreign nationals who had tried to meddle in the elections in eastern Turkish cities of Agri, Sirnak, Batman and Diyarbakir.

Turkish officials said they didn’t have accreditation and claimed that they were observers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

1400 GMT:

Polling in Turkey’s parliamentary and presidential elections ends at 1400 GMT (5:00pm local) on Sunday.

With the polls officially closed, electoral committees across the country’s 81 provinces have started counting the ballots cast in 180,065 polling stations across the country.

Envelopes containing ballot papers are being counted in Kahramanmaras, Turkey on June 24, 2018 as voting ends for Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey. (AA)

0830 GMT:

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Sunday casts his vote in the Aegean province of Izmir, also his hometown.

Speaking to reporters after voting at the Bahar Yildirim Elementary School in Karabaglar district, he says, "Turkey will continue moving forward to new targets [and] new horizons in stability and security with the new governing system."

0757 GMT:

Iyi Party candidate Meral Aksener casts her vote in Haci Sabanci Anatolian High School in Istanbul's Uskudar district.

0730 GMT:

The CHP's Muharrem Ince votes in Saffet Cam Middle School in northwestern Yalova province.

0700 GMT :

HDP candidate Selahattin Demirtas casts his ballot in Edirne.

In his tweet, he is posing with HDP minister Abdullah Zeydan, who is imprisoned as well.

Biz de oyumuzu, cezaevinde kullandık. Herkesin sandığa giderek ülkenin geleceği için, tercihini demokrasiden yana kullanmasını diliyorum. Oy verme işleminin sakin ve huzurlu bir ortamda tamamlanmasını umuyorum. Sonuçların çok güzel olacağına inanıyorum. Hepimize hayırlı olsun. pic.twitter.com/ceinNMfLN8 — Selahattin Demirtaş (@hdpdemirtas) June 24, 2018

His tweet reads:

I cast my vote in prison. I call on everyone to go to the ballot box and be on the side of democracy for the future of the country. I expect voting will take place in a calm and peaceful atmosphere. I believe the results will be very good. Congratulations already to everyone.

0500 GMT:

Polling in Turkey's parliamentary and presidential elections begins on Sunday, with 56,322,632 registered voters and 180,065 ballot boxes across the country.

Voting started at 0500 GMT (8am local time) and will continue through 1400 GMT (5pm local time). Voters are casting two separate ballot papers in the same envelope; one for the presidential and one for the parliamentary elections.

After the voting ends, ballots cast for the presidential candidates will be counted first.

June 23

1315 GMT:

Devlet Bahceli, leader of the MHP, addresses crowds at the "Great Turkey" rally in Ankara.

He says that the People's Alliance, the alliance between the AK Party, MHP and BBP had to strengthen and consolidate the Turkish Republic's position against the PKK, YPG and FETO terror groups.

Supporters of Turkey's nationalist MHP make their party's signature gesture as leader Devlet Bahceli delivers a campaign speech in Ankara, June 23, 2018. (AA)

He further says that Turkey also had to counter economic aggression and international pressure.

1200 GMT:

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan asks his supporters to warn people not to vote for the HDP in Sunday's elections because of the party’s ethnically divisive policies and says the nation needs to be united as a family of 81 million.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters during an election rally in Istanbul, Turkey June 23, 2018. (Reuters)

The AK Party leader adds that Turkey will progress to the top of the 10 most developed countries.

1134 GMT:

Muharrem Ince, the presidential candidate of the main opposition CHP, addresses his largest campaign event in Istanbul's Maltepe district in final rallies before the ban on campaigning and broadcasting or election silence comes into effect.

He vows to lift the state of emergency in Turkey within 48 hours of being elected, and pledges to send millions of Syrian refugees home once peace is attained in the war-torn country.

1045 GMT:

Thousands of people have gathered in Istanbul's Esenyurt district to listen to President Erdogan as he holds one of his final rallies hours before the election silence comes into place, which signals the end of the campaigning period.

0624 GMT:

Over 600 members of the international press from 34 countries have received accreditation from Turkey’s Directorate General of Press and Information (BYEGM) to monitor the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Press members with prerequisite permission will be provided with facilities to ease their work in the field.

Press centres with screens have been established in Ankara, Istanbul and Diyarbakir by BYEGM in order to allow members of the international press to follow the election results.

June 22

1330 GMT:

Sealed sacks containing foreign votes are counted and placed into transparent boxes by polling clerks at the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) building in the Turkish capital, Ankara on Friday.

As per electoral law, the boxes are put into a secure room in the ATO building which is under observation 24/7.

Turks living abroad finish voting on Tuesday for the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections at customs gates and foreign missions.

The ballot papers brought to Turkey will be opened at 14:00 GMT on Sunday after voting ends across the country.

Turkish expats' ballot papers in sealed bags are seen at ATO exhibition hall in Turkish capital Ankara on June 22, 2018. (AA)

07:05 GMT:

Meral Aksener, the head and presidential candidate of Iyi Party, cancels Istanbul rallies, which are planned for Saturday, after one of the party's parliamentary candidates succumbs to his injuries.

Ibrahim Ozer, the party's parliamentary candidate from Samsun, had a car accident last week in Kirikkale province during an election campaign.

"We have cancelled all our rallies in Istanbul that were slated for Saturday, June 23, due to the funeral ceremony of my dear friend Ibrahim Ozyer," Aksener says in a tweet.

Elim bir trafik kazasında kaybettiğimiz değerli arkadaşım İbrahim Özyer'in cenazesi nedeniyle 23 Haziran Cumartesi günü yapılması planlanan İstanbul'daki tüm mitinglerimiz iptal olmuştur.

Merhumun naaşı öğle namazını müteakiben Samsun Büyük Cami'den kaldırılacaktır. — Meral Akşener (@meral_aksener) June 22, 2018

0440 GMT:

Turkish authorities on Friday detain in Ankara 14 suspected members of Daesh accused of planning an attack on elections this weekend, the state-run Anadolu news agency reportes.

The 14 suspects, all foreign nationals, are detained in simultaneous morning raids on their residences in Turkey's capital, the agency says.

The report says large amounts of material are seized in the raids.

But it give no details on the nature of the attack's timing and location, or the nationality of the suspects.

Turkish counterterrorism squads carry out raid at an unknown address in the Turkish capital Ankara, Turkey, on June 22, 2018. (AA)

June 21

2000 GMT:

Speaking to a Turkish TV channel at Istanbul’s new airport, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that the number of ministries will be reduced to 16 under new presidential system after June 24.

“We will reduce the number of ministries to 16 under the presidential system,” he says

Currently, Turkey has 26 ministries.

Under the proposed changes, the ministry for foreign affairs and ministry for European Union affairs will be merged. And the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs will be under the ministry of agriculture.

“Economic administration will be simplified,” says Erdogan.

“We will reduce the number of related ministries, which is six now, to three.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a TV interview in Istanbul, on June 21, 2018. (AA)

1830 GMT:

The main opposition party’s presidential candidate Muharrem Ince holds big rally in the coastal province of Izmir on Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people attend the rally in the secularist Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) stronghold.

Ince says he will remove the state of emergency and send four million Syrians back to their country with a farewell ceremony, if he wins the upcoming election.

Muharrem Ince, presidential candidate of the main opposition CHP says he will remove the state of emergency and send four million Syrians back to Syria with celebrations, if he wins the upcoming presidential election in Turkey pic.twitter.com/W196vVMLUl — TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) June 21, 2018

“If I become the president [...] I’ll start to work on Syria within a week. In a hundred days, I will appoint an ambassador to Syria and we will send four million Syrians back home with celebrations,” he says.

He also says that diesel price will go down to $0,64 (3 Turkish Lira) and minimum wage will be $466 (2,200 Turkish Lira), if elected.

The minimum wage in Turkey is currently $336 (1,600 Turkish lira).

Republican People’s Party's (CHP) presidential candidate Muharrem Ince addresses the crowd during his party's rally at the Gundogdu Square in Izmir, Turkey on June 21, 2018. (AA)

1230 GMT:

Ballots cast by Turkish expatriates around the globe are brought to Turkey and locked at the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) building in the Turkish capital on Thursday.

Sealed sacks containing ballots are placed in ATO’s exhibition centre and locked with five different locks, the keys of which have been given to members of four different political parties and an official from the Supreme Election Council.

The centre will be under observation 24/7 by security cameras, and the political parties can assign observers on demand.

Voting for Turkish expats in foreign countries ended on Tuesday, and the ballots were taken to Turkey via aircraft cargo containers.

The sacks will be opened on Sunday after the voting process is completed across the country.

Five different locks are seen on the gate of the exhibition centre in ATO building in Ankara, on June 21, 2018. (AA)

0840 GMT:

Muharrem Ince, candidate of the main opposition People's Republican Party, CHP, visits the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD) on Thursday to have a closed-door meeting with the members.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Ince says that state-owned Ziraat Bank, Halkbank, Eximbank and Kalkinma Bank must be restructured.

"Turkey should become a regional attraction destination," he adds.

Erol Bilecik, the chairman of TUSIAD, says that they will be talking about topics like the economy, in particular, foreign relations and gender equality with Ince.

Muharrem Ince (L), the CHP's presidential candidate, speaks during a press conference standing next to Erol Bilecik (L), the head of TUSIAD, in Istanbul, on June 21 2018. (AA)

0720 GMT:

A Turkish woman is detained in Izmir for alleged multiple voting but is freed by the chief public prosecutor's office on Thursday.

Sengul E, who lives in Belgium, says in her statement that she was taking a photo posing near a ballot box at the Turkish consulate general in Brussel while her friends were casting their votes, and she took another one at Izmir’s Adnan Menderes airport election centre when she was casting her vote.

Ankara chief public prosecutor's office says that Sengul E has been released after it was understood that she had not voted in both Belgium and Turkey.

There was one more Turkish citizen with a similar name who voted at the consulate general in Brussels, but it was just a case of mistaken identity, according to the prosecutor's office.

Sengul E had shared two different photos showing her voting both at the Turkish Embassy in Belgium and another at the customs gate of Adnan Menderes Airport. She was detained in Izmir on Wednesday.

“We have never allowed anybody to abuse [the polls], and we never will,” Sadi Guven, the head of the Supreme Election Council (YSK), says on Wednesday.

People who try to commit voter fraud in Turkey can face up to five years in prison.

June 20

1900 GMT:

In an interview with a Turkish radio channel, President and the AK Party’s presidential candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan says late on Wednesday that their alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the People’s Alliance, can seek to form a coalition if it fails to secure a parliamentary majority in Sunday’s elections.

Erdogan also states that the prospect of this possibility is “very, very low.”

“There could be coalition between the alliances. But the prospect for them is very, very low. If it (the People’s Alliance) will get less than 300 (seats), then there could be a search for a coalition." Erdogan says.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a rally in Mardin, capital of Mardin province in southeastern Turkey, June 20, 2018. (Reuters)

1410 GMT:

In an exclusive interview with TRT World on Wednesday, Turkish Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin says the Turkish economy is doing well ahead of the elections in contrast to claims made by the opposition and critics.

"Some people describe us as a failing economy, actually it is a failing description of what really happened," Kalin says, stating that Turkey scored a 7.4 percent growth rate last year and in the first quarter of this year the country reached the same level.

“That remains to be the course for the Turkish economy,” he adds.

Turkish currency has lost its value against the US dollar in the last few months and the opposition parties have claimed that the government called the early elections not to suffer more if it had stuck to the original electoral timetable.

The government decided to hold polls on June 24, ahead of the November 2019 schedule.

0745 GMT:

The head of the Supreme Election Council (YSK), Sadi Guven, says on Wednesday that the number of Turks voting abroad for the country's presidential and parliamentary elections this month has risen to a record level of 1,486,408 voters.

Some three million Turkish voters are registered abroad, meaning the turnout of foreign voters currently stands at 48.8 percent.

In last year’s constitutional referendum 1,424,279 Turkish citizens went to the polls with a turnout of 47.91 percent, according to data from the Council.

Voting at Turkish diplomatic missions abroad began on June 7 and finished on Tuesday evening.

The turnout is expected to rise further, as voting at customs gates will continue through election day, this Sunday, June 24, he says.

Ballot papers are being sealed at the Consulate General in Berlin, Germany on June 19, 2018, as voting ends for Turkish presidential and general elections. (AA)

Guven also warns against any attempts at electoral fraud, including double voting, saying, “We have never allowed anybody to abuse [the polls], and we never will.”

People who try to commit voter fraud can face up to five years in prison, he notes.

In this June 18, 2018 file photo, Sadi Guven, head of the Supreme Election Council (YSK), is seen showing ballot papers for the upcoming elections in Ankara. (AA)

June 19

2000 GMT:

Voting for Turkish expats living in Europe ends on Tuesday. After being sealed, the votes will be sent to an overseas election office in Istanbul.

Expatriates can still vote at Turkey’s border gates until June 24.

All the votes cast across Europe will be sent to Turkey by airmail and counted at the same time as the votes cast in Turkey on June 24, according to the head of the Supreme Election Council (YSK), Sadi Guven.

1131 GMT:

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says Turkey will continue to grow when stability in the country is maintained.

He makes the statement while attending a meeting of tradesmen in Izmir ahead of the upcoming elections.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim speaks at a meeting of tradesmen in Izmir, Turkey, June 19, 2018. (AA)

1054 GMT:

The CHP (Republican People's Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu meets with representatives from non-governmental organisations, unions, professional chambers and guilds at Ahmed Adnan Saygun Arts Center in Izmir.

He says, "We are defending democracy and are in favour of a Turkey that can speak freely."

The CHP (Republican People's Party) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu arrives in Izmir, Turkey, June 19, 2018. (AA)

0856 GMT:

In 51 countries, the period for expats to vote in Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections has ended, while nine other countries will see the polls close later on Tuesday. Voting at some customs gates will end at 9pm local time on June 24, election day.

According to unofficial Supreme Election Council (YSK) figures, turnout in all 60 countries has reached 41 percent.

The figures show that some 1.26 million out of three million registered Turkish voters abroad have gone to the polls so far at 90 foreign missions in 51 countries.

June 18

1000 GMT:

One MP candidate, one district head and 24 members of the Saadet (Felicity) Party in northeastern city of Kars resign from their posts on Monday and join the governing AK Party for the June 24 elections.

Sezgin Yildiz (R), a MP candidate, Mehmet Karatas (L2) Kagizman district head, and Ahmet Arslan (R2), the minister of transport, greet their supporters during a press conference in Kars, Turkey on June 18, 2018. (AA)

0100 GMT:

Turkish citizens living in the US have cast their ballots on the last day of voting for expats in Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections.

Voting opened on the June 9 with more than 100,000 Turkish nationals eligible to vote across the United States.

Turkish nationals queue outside the Turkish Consulate General of New York City to vote in Turkish general elections of 2018 in Manhattan, New York, United States on June 17, 2018. (AA)

June 17

1545 GMT:

Former HDP (People’s Democratic Party) Co-Chairman Selahattin Demirtas, who has been arrested on PKK-related terror charges since November 2016, appears on Turkish public broadcaster TRT Haber channel to address his supporters for this week’s polls.

Demirtas says a vote for him as president and the HDP for parliament would be a chance for "peace."

"Don't forget, everything changes with you," he says, urging his followers to vote.

All presidential candidates have a right to introduce themselves on television or radio in a 10-minute address under election law, and tell the people about their agenda and what they would do for the country if elected, according to the election law.

This screen grab taken from a video clip shows arrested presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtas while addressing on TRT Haber on June 17, 2018. (TRTWorld)

The televised campaigns of the presidential candidates begin broadcasting on Sunday.

In November 2016, Demirtas along with 12 HDP lawmakers, were arrested on terror-related charges.

Demirtas remains in custody pending trial.

1520 GMT:

Turkish President Erdogan addresses an election rally in Istanbul's Yenikapi district and mentions the city's significance in Turkey, Middle East, Africa and Pakistan.

Addressing the rally one week before the elections in Turkey, President Erdogan asked AK Party supporters, "Are we ready to roar for unity, brotherhood and a powerful Turkey on 24th of June?"

The Turkish president highlights progress made in Istanbul, comparing living standards during his predecessor CHP's administration in the 1990s to the AK Party's tenure from 2000 onwards.

Erdogan dismisses allegations of corruption against his government, pointing out the economic achievements Turkey has made, including the payment of the country's IMF debt and accumulation of foreign reserves.

Announcing his election campaign promises, Erdogan says Yassi Island, where former president Adnan Menderes was executed by the military junta, will be renovated and turned into "Democracy and Liberty" Island.

Erdogan also pledges to "once again make Istanbul a centre of culture and arts."

Erdogan also says Ataturk Airport will be turned into a national garden once construction of Istanbul's third airport is complete and comes into service.

June 16

0807 GMT:

At least 19 suspects, including an HDP MP candidate, are detained over an armed attack on governing AK Party members in southeast Turkey.

AK Party workers – including MP Ibrahim Halil Yildiz – were campaigning on Thursday when they were attacked by an armed group following a dispute in Sanliurfa's Suruc district, leaving four people dead and eight injured.

June 15

1330 GMT:

The Turkish government slams the interim report of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the upcoming elections in Turkey.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy on June 15 responds to a question on OSCE's interim report, claiming that it "includes certain comments, even of political nature."

“An interim report released on 15 June 2018 by OSCE Election Observation Mission that is currently functioning in our country, has been reviewed carefully. However, it is seen that the interim report includes certain comments, even of political nature, that do not coincide with reality,” Aksoy says.

June 14

0900 GMT:

The main opposition party, CHP, starts a monitoring and co-ordination centre for the elections on Thursday.

The centre’s management is composed of four vice-chairmen of the party: Bulent Tezcan as the head, Muharrem Erkek, Onursal Adiguzel and Tuncay Ozkan, the party says in a written statement.

The aim of the foundation of the centre is to monitor the elections, help to co-ordinate and respond immediately if any problem occurs during the elections, the statement says.

In this May 14, 2018 file photo, Bulent Tezcan, the CHP's vice-chairman and spokesman, is seen during a press conference in the party's headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. (AA)

June 13

2110 GMT:

Erdogan vows on Wednesday to abolish the ongoing state of emergency if he gets re-elected in the upcoming elections on June 24.

“If I continue to hold this post [the presidency] after June 24, our very first move, God willing, would be to abolish the state of emergency,” Erdogan says in an interview on a private TV channel.

The state of emergency has been in place since the 2016 failed coup in Turkey, which killed at least 249 people and wounded more than 2,000 others – and has been extended seven times – the most recent being in April this year.

Backdropped by photographs of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, (C), modern Turkey's founder and Turkey's current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, (R), a Turkish police officer stands guard at a security checkpoint in Istanbul, on May 18, 2018. (AP)

0130 GMT:

Erdogan reiterates on Wednesday that the new public kiraathane – reading houses – will spur reading among the youth.

His statement comes in response to criticism by opposition party members that follow the president's proposal to help ignite the habit of reading in the nation’s youth.

Erdogan vows to set up reading houses in all cities with both books and treats on offer.

President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a meal with the heads of Turkish villages and neighbourhoods at Ankara in the exhibition hall inside the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on June 13, 2018. (AA)

Kiraathane means reading house in Turkish and refers to a traditional place in Turkish culture dating back to the Ottoman era, where people drank tea and coffee while reading books, newspapers and magazines.

“We’ll build the ‘Nation’s Kiraathane’… These places will be filled with books, and there will be free cake, tea and coffee [served],” he says.

Erdogan says these new reading houses, open 24 hours, would become a magnet for young people.

Heads of Turkish villages and neighborhoods greet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as he enters a hall inside the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on June 13, 2018. (AA)

June 12

1830 GMT:

Muharrem Ince, the presidential candidate of CHP, vows on Monday to bring in 60 million tourists as soon as possible if elected, saying it would generate up to $60 billion in revenue.

In an election campaign speech in the capital Ankara, Ince says the tourism industry is not an entertainment business but a means to attract foreign currency and contribute to economic development.

Around 27 million tourists chose Turkey in 2016, while 26 million tourists visited the country in the first nine months of 2017.

Ince addresses his supporters during a rally in the southwestern city of Mugla, Turkey on June 12, 2018. (AA)

June 11

2330 GMT:

Kilicdaroglu says late on Monday that if their candidate Ince is elected into power, their government will cancel the agreements with Israel over its violence against Palestinians.

Speaking during a live interview with a private TV channel Kanal D, Kilicdaroglu says cutting ties with Israel will be their first move in office once they secure power.

"I will, immediately," Kilicdaroglu says, adding, "We do not have any significant exports to Israel. We only have imports.”

Kemal Kilicdaroglu addresses his supporters from the top of a campaign bus in Malatya, Turkey on June 11, 2018. (AA)

2130 GMT:

Erdogan says on Monday he expects the next presidential and parliamentary elections to end in the first round, with little possibility of a second one.

Erdogan makes the remarks during a live speech broadcast by several private TV channels in Istanbul on the upcoming June 24 elections.

“My nation would make their decision without leaving this job [of electing the president] for the second round,” he says.

June 10

1930 GMT:

Erdogan says on Sunday there will be no general amnesty before the elections on June 24.

MHP's (Nationalist Movement Party) leader Devlet Bahceli, who is an ally of Erdogan's in the upcoming elections, calls for an amnesty on May 12 on Twitter.

"Why is favouring the victims of fate who long for their loved ones in prison not considered?" he posted on his official account, saying the offer excluded "child abusers, rapists, murderers of women and members of the PKK and FETO."

However, Erdogan refused his proposal repeatedly.

"There is no amnesty in our agenda," Erdogan tells the crowd during an election rally in Istanbul.

"If there is really need for an amnesty, we will discuss it after the election. With two weeks to the election date, it [calling for amnesty] would be exploitation of a sensitive topic," he adds.

June 9

Turkish expatriates on Saturday continue to vote in the early presidential and general elections in 22 consulates across Germany, Austria and France.

In the first two days, a total of 72,111 expats voted in the three countries and at customs gates.

On the second day, a total of 39,887 Turkish expats voted, including 32,521 voters at the foreign missions and 7,366 at the customs gates.

Voting will be held from 9am to 9pm local time on weekdays and weekends at the foreign missions.

Over three million Turks living abroad are eligible to vote in the presidential and general elections.

June 8

1632 GMT:

Turkey may lift the state of emergency, imposed shortly after a failed coup attempt in 2016, after the June 24 elections, Erdogan says on Thursday.

Speaking in an interview on CNN Turk, Erdogan says the issue of lifting the emergency rule would be discussed after the snap presidential and parliamentary elections later this month.

June 7

1610 GMT:

Demirtas, who is in jail because of alleged links to the PKK terror organisation, will be sent to the country’s public broadcaster Turkish Radio Television (TRT) studios in Ankara to record his speech to the nation before the elections.

According to Anadolu Agency, Demirtas like other presidential candidates will make two speeches that will be broadcast on June 17 and June 23.

June 6

1915 GMT:

Iyi (Good) Party leader Meral Aksener says she wants to mend relations with Syria and is willing to meet with the regime leader Bashar al Assad.

Aksener also says if the CHP’s presidential candidate Ince remains in the second round of the elections, “some people who voted for us [Iyi Party] may vote for Erdogan.”

1807 GMT:

Erdogan blasts rating institutions' decisions and their hypocrisy saying they aim to weaken Turkey before the elections.

“Just have a look at our neighbour Greece, which is in economic crisis. Despite that, they [credit rating agencies] have raised their rating four times. Do you think you can save them [Greece] by raising their rating? You can see what happens on the roads. Our economy, which is being distorted by the exchange rate, interest rate and inflation, will become stronger after June 24 [elections].”

0131 GMT:

Turkey's vice premier Hakan Cavusoglu says the new governing system will not allow certain powers to topple the elected governments, referring to military and judiciary.

"The only [power that] can do is you [the nation]," Cavusoglu says while blasting the approach of an opposition's only suggestion that is to "get rid of [President] Erdogan. It is unfair to our people and our country."

June 5:

1131 GMT:

Prime Minister Yildirim speaking in Turkey's Kurdish majority southeastern city Hakkari says Turkey does not have any problem with the Kurdish people and that the PKK is a headache for both Kurds and Turks.

"The Americans and Europeans came together to say, ‘Let’s create a Kurdish state.’ The Kurds’ state is here, the Anatolian lands."

May 31:

1110 GMT:

A CHP delegation, including a number of MPs, a mayor and several journalists, is barred from entering Greece, adducing lack of legal papers.

Ince, planned to visit Turkish voters in northeastern Greece on Thursday.

A group of party members in Edirne also wanted to join Ince during the visit.

The Greek authorities let Ince in, but they didn't allow two CHP MPs, one mayor and several journalists as an official application is required for a delegation's visit to the country.

May 29:

1140 GMT:

Erdogan sues Ince over his remarks, demanding non-pecuniary damages worth $21,381 (100,000 Turkish Lira).

Speaking to his followers in Balikesir, Ince claims on Monday that Erdogan went to Pennsylvania in 2001 to get permission to found the AK Party, a clear reference to US-based cleric Fetullah Gulen who masterminded the July 15 coup attempt in 2016.

Erdogan also files a criminal complaint against Ince for insulting the president.

May 24:

1200 GMT:

The AK Party says in its manifesto that it wants to overcome its problems with Washington and maintaining close co-operation between the two countries is essential.

The party also says that Turkey will work to strengthen bilateral ties with Russia particularly on energy and trade, continuing close co-ordination on the regional issues, especially on Syria.

Turkey will continue its efforts for a new process in Syria, aiming to re-establish its ties and co-operation with the new Syria, AK Party adds.

May 21:

1400 GMT:

Major political parties submit their list of parliamentary candidates to the Supreme Election Council (YSK) in capital Ankara.

May 18:

1030 GMT:

Ince says if he were elected he will appoint an ambassador to Syria.

"There are four million Syrians in Turkey. We have spent 40 billion dollars for them, but there is no Turkish ambassador in Damascus ... If I am elected, I will appoint an ambassador to Syria," Ince says during a rally in northwestern Kirklareli province.

0630 GMT:

Turkey's left-wing nationalist presidential candidate Dogu Perincek says that if he was elected on June 24, he will send a plane to Syria's Bashar al Assad following day and invite him to Ankara.

"We, the Patriotic Party, have an office in Damascus and have ongoing talks with Bashar al Assad. As soon as I am elected, I will send a plane to Assad and invite him to Turkey," Perincek says in a radio programme.

May 15:

1234 GMT:

HDP applies for its jailed presidential candidate to be released before next month's election, saying "the imprisonment of a candidate violated electoral law and jeopardised voter freedom" in a statement.

Demirtas has also won support from some other opposition candidates, even from nationalist Aksener.

"He is not someone who has been convicted," Aksener tells reporters. "Let's say he is freed three months after elections, how will Turkey explain the competitive inequality during the campaigning period then?"

May 9:

1724 GMT:

Erdogan receives Ince in a meeting at AK Party headquarters in Ankara. It lasts for 40 minutes.

AK Party Group Deputy Chairman Mustafa Elitas and CHP Group Deputy Chairman Engin Altay also participate in the meeting.

After the meeting, Ince tells reporters that he spoke with Erdogan and wishes him and his party success in the forthcoming elections.

Elitas says Erdogan and Ince had a friendly conversation and wished each other success.

1200 GMT:

Ince visits Demirtas ahead of an election rally in Edirne province.

Demirtas was arrested on charges of terrorism in 2016.

1100 GMT:

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin says social media campaigns using bots' accounts will not come up with any results, referring to the "tamam" (“enough” in Turkish) Twitter storm.

"We believe that the Turkish nation will say 'keep going' instead ... who will head to the polls and will decide at the end," Kalin says during a press conference in Ankara.

Many Twitter users posted tweets with the hashtag "tamam" (enough) after Erdogan said “If one day our nation says 'enough', then we will step aside," in a speech in parliament.

Erdogan supporters responded swiftly with the counter hashtag "devam" (Keep going).

May 5:

1400 GMT:

The parties which have at least 20 seats in the Turkish parliament inform Turkey's electoral board officially about their candidates for the presidency.

1330 GMT:

The main opposition party CHP, the newly formed Iyi Party, Saadet Party, and Demokrat (Democrat) Party announce they are setting up an alliance for the elections dubbed the Nation's Alliance.

Earlier, the AK Party and MHP announced their electoral alliance for the polls, named the People's Alliance.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies