Erdogan leads as counting continues in Turkish votes

First unofficial results put Erdoğan ahead in Turkish elections

The first unofficial results of the Turkish parliamentary and presidential elections show President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan maintaining a lead against his main rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Counting begins:

President has posted a tweet declaring the end of the elections.

Erdogan wrote on Twitter, "Dear friends and fellow citizens... the voting process was completed in a manner worthy of our democracy, thank God. Now, as always, it is the time to get to the polls. Until the results are finalized, we will continue to protect the will of our nation!"

Polling stations across Türkiye closed on Sunday as voting in the country's presidential and parliamentary elections ended at 5 p.m. local time (1400GMT), the Anadolu Agency said in a report.

More than 64.1 million people were registered to vote, including over 1.76 million who cast their ballots abroad and 4.9 million first-time voters.

A total of 191,885 ballot boxes were set up for voters in the country.

Every voter cast two ballots, one for the president and the other for parliamentarians, both of whom will serve five-year terms.

Ballot counting has begun to determine the outcome of a three-way race between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and Sinan Ogan.

Muharrem Ince, another presidential contender, withdrew on Thursday.

More than 30 political parties and over 150 independent parliamentary candidates competed in the elections.

There were five multiparty blocs in the running: the People's Alliance, Nation Alliance, Ancestral Alliance, Labor and Freedom Alliance, and Union of Socialist Forces Alliance, the Turkish main news agency added.

Votes for Muharrem Ince to be counted, says SEC

Reporting from Ankara, Al Jazeera announced the Supreme Council for Elections had announced that any votes made in favor of Muharrem Ince, will be counted and will not be considered invalid.

Ince is the leader of the Homeland Party and a former presidential candidate who withdrew from the race days ahead of the vote.

His picture and a corresponding empty box that voters could select, remained visible on ballot papers which had already been printed out ahead of his withdrawal.

Erdogan casts his ballot in Istanbul 

Incumbent president Recep Tayyib Erdogan has cast his vote at a polling station in Uskudar, a neighbourhood on the Asian side of Turkey’s largest metropolis, Istanbul.

Large crowds met Erdogan and cheered him on along with his wife, Emine, as they cast their ballots.

Speaking to reporters, Erdogan expressed hope that the outcome of the polls would be beneficial for the country.