Voting for Turkish elections begins at customs offices

ANKARA

Voting for Turkish general elections has begun in 33 customs offices as well as in seven countries on Friday.

A total of 33 Turkish air- and seaport customs offices opened polling for Turks who reside abroad but find themselves in Turkey during the elections. They will remain open until June 7 - the day the country goes to the polls to choose their lawmakers.

However, Turkish voters living in Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Switzerland and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus can also vote as of Friday until May 31.

Voters have to bring their national ID card, passport or a document, which shows an ID number, in order to be eligible to cast a ballot.

Ballot boxes have been placed at customs offices in the Turkish border points of Sarp, Kapikule, Pazarkule, Ipsala, Hamzabeyli, Dilucu and Derekoy, and in Sakirpasa, Esenboga, Antalya, Eskisehir, Elazıg, Gaziantep, Hatay, Istanbul Ataturk, Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, Adnan Menderes, Erkilet, Konya Military, Dalaman, Bodrum-Milas, Samsun, Trabzon and Zonguldak airports, and Kusadası, Ayvalık, Cesme, Derince, Mersin, Tasucu, Marmaris, Bodrum and Samsun port gates.

Turkey's Supreme Election Board had announced that 112 polling stations would serve the almost 3 million Turkish nationals living abroad.

June’s contest will be to elect 550 members of parliament from 20 political parties competing in the country's 25th general elections.