The voting of Turkish citizens in the occupied territories for the upcoming dual elections for the great Turkish National Assembly and the Presidency, in Turkey, which will take place on May 9, began today and will last until May 14, while the Turkish "ambassador", Metin Feizioglu, spoke of 142.000 in the pseudo-state who have the right to vote. This is an increase of 36.000 voters, as the Dialog newspaper notes today, since the last similar procedure, in 2018.
In Nicosia and Famagusta there are 16 and 7 polling stations respectively, which were set up in sports "public" areas and will operate every day from today until May 9. In Morphou, 3 polling stations will operate only for 3 days, April 29, 30 and May 1. Beneficiaries will be able to exercise their right to vote in any ballot box they want. The polls will be open from 9 am to 9 pm in Nicosia and Famagusta and from 9 am to 6 pm in Morphou.
Yesterday, Wednesday, the Turkish "ambassador" to the occupied territories, Metin Feizioglu, inspected the preparations and wished "may this process be auspicious for everyone. "We will make sure that everything goes according to the rules, together with the representatives of the political parties, the presidents and the members of the voting committees." There will be no congestion or waiting during the voting process, he added.
In the elections, he continued, Turkish citizens who have "dual citizenship", i.e. apart from Turkish and that of the pseudo-state, can also vote.
Answering a question about the number of Turkish voters in the occupied territories, Mr. Feizioglu said that this year it reached 142.000. "It's a big number. Since our polling stations will be open in two centers and in Morphou for 3 days, we do not expect a large crowd. Citizens will vote in peace."
He also announced that Turkey's "consulates" in occupied Nicosia and Famagusta will be open during the 13 days of the vote to assist citizens with providing the necessary documents, while a mobile "consulate" will also operate in Morphou. Beneficiaries should show Turkish Republic ID.
According to a news report by the Turkish news agency Anadolu, the number of voters in the "tdvk" - as the pseudo-state is referred to - is 140.111 this year. The Turkish agency records the number of Turkish citizens who have the right to vote in 73 countries abroad. The most Turkish voters are in Germany: 1.501.152, followed by the USA: 134.246. In Greece, 11.714 have the right to vote this year.
Jeni Duzen, citing Anadolu, writes that the number of voters in Turkey's previous elections who had the right to vote in the occupied territories, in 2018, was 106.446. Dialog also highlights the issue in its main headline today noting that the difference from 2018 to today is an increase of 36.000 voters – Turkish citizens in the occupied territories.
Source: KYPE