TURKEY: Turks return from overseas to vote in Parliamentary election

Turkey's overseas citizens juggled hand luggage, passports and ballot papers as they lined-up to vote at Istanbul's Ataturk airport on Friday (July 20). Anxious passengers made their way through immigration towards a polling station inside the airport where they took part in an election seen by many as key to Turkey's future and status abroad. Turkey chooses a new parliament on Sunday (July 22) after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party clashed with the country's powerful secular elite prompting an early election which coincides with the holiday period for thousands of Turks living abroad. Voting stations have been set up at 14 entry points including major airports, harbours and land borders. Turkish ex-pats can cast their vote on arrival -- an opportunity not allowed them if they were to stay at home. "I don't think religion should be used for political issues, that's my reason (for not voting for APK). But they are doing good things for Turkey. I'm agreed, but my basic thing is this," said one voter referring to APK's Muslim affiliation. Yavuz Arik, a 36-year-old Turkish consultant living in the United States, said: "Out of all elections I think this one is very important... I'm very positive about the future of Turkey." Some Turks who have given up their Turkish citizenship said they eyed those voting with envy. Some 200,000 Turkish migrants have already voted at Turkey's border, the Essen-based Centre for Studies on Turkey said on Thursday (July 19), and some 400,000 are expected to do so in total -- but this is only a fraction of the 6.5 million Turkish passport holders living abroad.

ITN Source | July 21, 2007

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