Millions of Turkish citizens living abroad have cast their vote in a tense election that many view as a referendum on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule. The vote reflects polarization in the diaspora over their support of Erdogan, with the latest opinion polls showing a tight race between Erdogan and his main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is the candidate for a six-party opposition coalition.
The Turkish public broadcaster TRT reported that more than 1.7 million voters cast their ballots abroad, citing the country’s Supreme Election Council (YSK). This figure is higher than the turnout in the last election, where approximately 1.4 million people voted overseas. Voters living abroad make up 3.4 million of Turkey’s 64.1 million registered electorate, with Germany being home to the largest Turkish diaspora of 1.5 million.
Yunus Ulusoy of the Centre for Turkish Studies in Essen, western Germany, stated that there was an increase of 19% in the turnout in Germany, compared to the last election in 2018. He said, “The increase in voter turnout makes it clear that Turkish voters attach great emotional importance to the elections, even though the results do not affect their everyday lives in Germany.”
Turkish voters abroad have traditionally voted for conservative candidates, with Erdogan enjoying wide popularity, particularly among voters in Germany. However, Ulusoy believes that the opposition alliance mobilized more voters than in 2018. Kilicdaroglu’s party has been trying to tap into Erdogan’s base of support in Germany, organizing daily buses to take voters to the Turkish consulate in Berlin.
The voting process has not been without incidents, as spates of violence have been recorded in multiple polling stations in Europe, reflecting the polarization of the Turkish diaspora, especially on their support – or opposition – for Erdogan. Last week, French police in the southern city of Marseille fired tear gas to stop a fight between Erdogan’s supporters and dissidents, leading to two arrests. In the Netherlands, police said they broke up a “massive brawl involving some 300 people” at an Amsterdam polling station.
The May 14 election comes as Turkey reels from the aftermath of catastrophic earthquakes and amid an economic crisis. The election is increasingly looking like a tight race between Erdogan and his main challenger, with the latest opinion polls showing that Kilicdaroglu is marginally ahead. The vote marks a significant moment for Turkish citizens living abroad, many of whom feel strongly about the outcome of the election, despite its lack of direct impact on their daily lives.
