Everything Turks abroad need to know about the Turkish elections
Over 3 million Turkish expatriates are expected to vote in Turkey's upcoming elections in 60 countries between June 7 and 24. The foreign vote represents nearly 5 percent of the total and could change the final result if it turns out to be close run.
This July 31, 2014 file photo shows election assistants prepare a polling station for the Turkish presidential elections at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany.
More than three million Turkish citizens who have registered in the foreign electoral roll will be able to vote in 60 countries around the world, beginning on June 7.
Voters will be able to cast their vote at 123 polling stations between June 7-19 and at 36 custom stations between June 7-24.
A total of 3,160 ballot boxes will be set up in these 123 foreign missions of Turkey for the elections.
As per the election rules, a minimum of 500 voters should be registered at a foreign representation for a polling station to be established.
A total of 3,049,065 eligible Turkish nationals abroad are set to cast their votes in foreign countries, according to figures by Turkey's Supreme Election Council.
In this April 8, 2017 file photo, a Turkish woman living in Greece casts a vote in a constitutional referendum in the Turkish Consulate in Athens.
A rising trend
Turkish nationals abroad were able to vote for the first time in the August 10, 2014 presidential elections and the turnout was around 8 percent for the foreign vote.
Before 2014, Turkish citizens who live abroad could vote only at the customs.
Voting abroad was followed by parliamentary elections on June 7, 2015, early general elections on November 1, 2015 and then the April 16, 2017 referendum.
The turnout rose respectively from 32 percent to 40 percent and finally up to 48 percent in the April 16 referendum last year.
This year, Turkish nationals residing in Malta, Serbia and Moldova will also be able to vote in an election in their home country for the first time.
Sample ballots, both for the presidential and parliamentary elections, are seen on a table in Ankara, Turkey, on May 31, 2018.
Nearly 60 million people will vote in the elections and the foreign vote represents around 5 percent.
Some recent public surveys have indicated that there would be a tight race in the presidential elections if it went to the second round.
In that scenario, the foreign vote can be a game changer for the historic elections.
More than 1.4 million Turks abroad participated in the 2017 referendum polls and 59 percent of them voted "Yes" for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's constitutional changes.
In both of the parliamentary elections in June and November 2015, the AK Party took the lead regarding the votes and HDP secured second place. CHP became the third party that Turks abroad voted for.
Highest number of polling stations in Germany
Turkish voters will use 13 polling stations in Germany, seven in the United States, six in France, four in Russia, China, Canada and Greece, and three in Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Iran and Kazakhstan.
Italy, Spain, Iraq, Kosovo, Egypt, Romania, Ukraine, Belgium, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Georgia and Saudi Arabia host two polling stations.
Turkish embassies will host polling stations in the following countries: Albania, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Algeria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, South Africa, Ireland, Israel, Sweden, Japan, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Lebanon, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Uzbekistan, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, Sudan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Oman, Jordan and New Zealand.
In this March 27, 2017 file photo, people wait outside the Turkish consulate in Berlin, Germany, to cast their votes on the first day of the referendum on the presidential system in Turkey.
Voting days abroad
Voting will span over 13 days in three countries and one day in 24 countries.
Turkish voters in Germany, France and Austria will vote on June 7-19. In Denmark, the voting dates are from June 9-19.
Voting in the US, Australia and Luxembourg will be held on June 9-17.
In Norway, Turkish citizens will be able to vote on June 14-19.
Turkish voters in Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland will vote on June 15-19.
In the UK, Turkish citizens will be able to vote on June 16-19.
Turkish voters in Italy and Turkmenistan will vote on June 15-17 and in Bulgaria, Canada and the Turkish Republic in Northern Cyprus on June 16-18.
The voting will take place on June 16-17 in Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Algeria, China, Finland, Israel, Sweden, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Greece.
On June 17, polls will be held in Albania, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, South Africa, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Ireland, Spain, Japan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Hungary, Malta, Egypt, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, Thailand, Oman, Jordan and New Zealand.
Voting will be held from 9 am to 9 pm local time on weekdays and weekends.
If the presidential election goes to the second run-off stage then voters will go to polls again between June 30-July 4.
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