WORLD
AK Party clinches victory in Turkey's general election
Baku, November 1, AZERTAC
The Justice and Development (AK) Party clinched victory after securing around 49 percent of votes in Turkey’s 26th general election Sunday, according to preliminary results based on 95.12 percent of counted votes, according to Anadolu Agency.
Electoral committees across the country’s 81 provinces, divided into 85 voting districts (Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir provinces have multiple districts), started the vote count after polls closed at 5 p.m. local time.
According to preliminary results compiled by Anadolu Agency, the number of ballots opened so far as of 8.35 p.m. local time is 174,554 out of 183,518 across Turkey, which corresponds to 95.12 percent of the ballots.
AK Party leads with 49.46 percent votes (316 parliamentary seats), followed by Republican People's Party (CHP) with 25.27 percent (133 seats).
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) got 11.97 percent votes (42 seats), while the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) secured only 10.34 percent (59 seats), which is just above the election threshold requirement of 10 percent.
The preliminary voter turnout across Turkey stood at 86.76 percent.
The preliminary results were released after Turkey's Supreme Election Board lifted a broadcast ban at 7 p.m. local time.
More than 54 million Turks were eligible to vote in a poll to elect 550 deputies to the Grand National Assembly.
A total of 183,518 polling stations opened and nearly a million Turks living abroad cast their ballots at 113 embassies and consulates.