AK Party Special: Over 500,000 People Vote Abroad in Just 4 Days
Turkish overseas voters have exceeded 500,000 in just four days, according to a tweet from the Turkish Parliament Speaker’s Advisor, Mustafa Şentop. The voting process is still ongoing, and it is expected that many more Turkish citizens living abroad will participate in the elections. Turkey has one of the largest populations of expatriates in the world, with over 5 million Turkish citizens living outside of the country.
The overseas voting process for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey began on April 7th, and it will continue until June 7th. Turkish citizens who are registered to vote and reside abroad can cast their vote at Turkish consulates or embassies in their respective countries.
It is worth noting that overseas voting has been a point of controversy in Turkey in recent years. In the 2017 constitutional referendum, the European Union deemed the overseas voting process as lacking transparency and subject to irregularities. However, Turkish officials have since stated that they have implemented necessary measures to ensure the fairness and transparency of the process.
Regardless of these concerns, the increasing number of overseas voters demonstrates the importance of Turkish expatriates in the democratic process. As Mustafa Şentop said himself, “Happy 1 May Labor and Solidarity Day.” Whether at home or abroad, all Turkish citizens have the right to participate in their country’s democratic process.
