Overseas Votes Reached Ankara
The votes cast in the Presidential Election and 28th Term Parliamentary General Elections in foreign missions and brought to Ankara by plane were delivered to ATO Congresium. The votes will be counted as of 17.00 on May 14.
Within the scope of the elections to be held on May 14, the Supreme Board of Elections (YSK) has formed ballot committees in 73 countries and 156 foreign representations for 3 million 416 thousand 98 voters registered in the overseas voter registry.
Following the completion of the voting process in the representative offices abroad on May 9, the votes cast in the countries where Turkish citizens live densely in Europe were brought to Ankara by airplanes.
Turkish Airlines’ “Selçuklu”, “Çatalhöyük” and “Rize-Artvin” planes carrying the votes landed intermittently at Esenboğa Airport.
Transportation Of Votes Cast In Foreign Missions To Turkey
AK Party Kayseri MP İsmail Emrah Karayel, Co-Chair of the Turkey-European Union (EU) Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), who was on the first plane to land at the airport, emphasized that the transportation of the votes was carried out with serious security measures.
Noting that they made inspections inside the airplane and in the baggage area as they started their journey, Karayel said, “All political party representatives were around these votes both when these votes were cast and when these votes were brought to the airplane. They were also at the ballot box. They signed the ballot box minutes and followed the process as they were put into sacks.”
Karayel thanked all voters who cast their ballots abroad.
Yüksel Mansur Kılınç, Istanbul MP and CHP Overseas Organization Coordinator Yüksel Mansur Kılınç, who took part as a political party representative during the transfer of the votes, said, “CHP was the party with the highest level of representation at the polling stations during the votes cast in 73 countries abroad.”
Pointing out that there were representatives of the AK Party, the Good Party and the Green Left Party on the plane, Kılınç said that his party had done a lot of work to enable citizens abroad to vote.
Kılınç, however, emphasized that the number of votes cast in foreign representations is not sufficient and should be increased.
Votes Were Transported Under Extensive Security Measures
After the planes landed, the sealed sacks were transferred to trucks.
At 05.30 hours, after the transportation of the votes was completed and the minutes were taken, the trucks left accompanied by the police. Political party representatives also joined the convoy formed for security purposes.
The ballots will be kept in a secure area at the ATO Congresium Exhibition Center by the Presidency of the District Electoral Board Abroad.
