Votes being counted in historic Turkish election
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party are expected to do well in Sunday's election.
June 12th, 2011
11:43 AM ET

Votes being counted in historic Turkish election

Officials in Turkey began tallying votes in potentially crucial parliamentary elections after polls closed Sunday, and partial results were expected later in the day.

Fifteen parties are competing, as well as more than 200 independent candidates, for 550 seats in Turkey's next Parliament.

Polls suggest there is little doubt that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his electoral powerhouse Justice and Development Party (AKP) will win a third term. They are running against a splintered opposition of secularists, leftists, Kurdish nationalists and Turkish ultranationalists.

Erdogan and the AKP first swept to power in 2002 after the party won 34% of the vote. The victory brought an end to years of weak and crisis-prone coalition governments. The party won a much stronger mandate in 2007 parliamentary elections when it captured 47% of the vote.

Erdogan ran his campaign largely focused on his government's years of economic stability and prosperity. Turkey went from double-digit inflation and a debilitating banking crisis in 2001 to an 8.9% economic growth rate in 2010. A recent Pew poll shows six in 10 Turks surveyed "have a lot or some confidence in Erdogan to do the right thing in world affairs."

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Filed under: Turkey
soundoff (14 Responses)
  1. RUFFNUTT

    GOBBLE GOBBLE..

    June 12, 2011 at 11:46 am | Report abuse |
    • Marek Boudain

      That joke got old when your great grandfather made it. Grow up.

      June 13, 2011 at 3:34 pm | Report abuse |
  2. IndyGent

    Is that where Butterballs are bred?

    June 12, 2011 at 12:11 pm | Report abuse |
    • Marek Boudain

      These series of childish comments aimed at insulting Turkey are posted by the same person, most likely one of the Armenians that infiltrate every single post related to Turkey to post their lies and propaganda to affect third parties.

      June 15, 2011 at 2:53 am | Report abuse |
  3. Cesar The Chorizo Champ Of Chihuahua

    That guy looks like a turkey.

    June 12, 2011 at 12:27 pm | Report abuse |
    • Marek Boudain

      Better than looking like a Chihuahua I guess because he looks much letter than Mexicans. Idiot. And you think that you are in a position to post, being from the land of ugliness.

      June 13, 2011 at 3:36 pm | Report abuse |
  4. IndyGent

    Yum.....turkey.

    June 12, 2011 at 12:33 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Mimi

    With snausage stuffing!

    June 12, 2011 at 2:31 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Emem

    Childish pr*cks

    June 12, 2011 at 5:13 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Andreas Moser

    You don't need to call every election "historic". There will be another one in a few years.

    June 12, 2011 at 5:49 pm | Report abuse |
  8. ¤•¤

    Emem: what are you adding to the conversation? Oh, that's right. Childish name-calling.
    Andreas Moser:
    I agree. Why call it historic? Call it what it really is-a "landslide".

    June 12, 2011 at 7:28 pm | Report abuse |
  9. ¤.¤

    Emem grow up will you.

    June 12, 2011 at 8:11 pm | Report abuse |
  10. €Engleberthumperdink¥£

    I didn't vote.

    June 12, 2011 at 8:54 pm | Report abuse |
  11. ***banasy***

    *Facepalm*

    June 12, 2011 at 9:26 pm | Report abuse |
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