More than 60 million voters are set to cast ballots on Sunday in Turkey’s most pivotal elections in a generation to determine if President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extends his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade.
(Bloomberg) — More than 60 million voters are set to cast ballots on Sunday in Turkey’s most pivotal elections in a generation to determine if President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extends his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade.
Turkey’s longest-serving leader has molded the NATO member into a regional power that plays a growing role from Ukraine to Syria. But increasingly erratic economic policies have left the 69-year-old incumbent vulnerable to voter resentment after an inflation crisis last year gutted household budgets.
Erdogan’s main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has the backing of the nation’s broadest-ever grouping of opposition parties. Kilicdaroglu, 74, is running on a promise to restore the rule of law, mend strained ties with the West and return to economic orthodoxy.
The world’s money managers are waiting for the election’s outcome to decide whether Turkey becomes a “buy” again. Foreign money flooded Turkey’s equity and debt markets during Erdogan’s first decade in power, but those investors exited in recent years as Erdogan’s growth-at-all-costs policies debased the nation’s currency.
Key Developments
- Erdogan Teeters Before Turkey Vote That’s Got the World Watching
- Quiet Politician Steps Up to Challenge Erdogan as Vote Looms
- Turkish Vote Gives $900 Billion Emerging Market a Comeback Shot
- Erdogan’s Followers Reconsider Their Loyalties as Election Looms
- Why Turkey’s Election Is a Big Test for Erdogan: QuickTake
(All times Istanbul, GMT+3)
Time to Vote (8:00 a.m.)
Turks headed to the polls across the nation to elect a new president and members of the country’s 600-seat parliament. Among the 64 million people eligible to vote, around 5 million will be casting ballots for the first time.
Election Security (5:00 a.m.)
Turkey has deployed tens of thousands of policemen and paramilitary forces at voting stations as usual as a precaution ahead of the election.
Election Results (00:01 a.m.)
First election results will be aired after the country’s election watchdog lifts a broadcast ban, usually a few hours after polls close at 5 p.m. local time.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.