Turkey elections: Turks abroad can vote from today – also in Austria

about two weeks ago Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections Thursday begins voting for approx Three million Turks abroad all over the world. Also about 100,000 Turkish citizens are in Austria They can participate in polls in six locations – Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Bregenz.

Ambassador Sehun weights He wanted to set a good example and cast his vote at the Consulate General in Vienna-Hitzing on Thursday morning.

➤ More on that here: Elections in Turkey: Erdogan should not be underestimated

Why Turks abroad are important to Erdogan

Turks abroad are traditionally seen as a staunch supporter of the president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and their Islamist conservatives Justice and Development Party. In the June 2018 presidential elections, Erdogan achieved an above-average result among Turks living abroad. And while in Turkey he won by 52.6 percent, 59.4 percent of Turks living abroad voted for him.

In Austria he even got 72.3 percent of the vote, only in Belgium and the Netherlands the percentage is slightly higher. However, participation was below average. In Austria, just under 49 percent of the 106,657 Turks registered abroad have cast their ballots.

➤ More on this here: Heart attack? The official spokesman rejects rumors about Erdogan’s health

Why does Erdogan fear victory?

This time Erdogan especially needs the support of Turks abroad, because according to opinion polls he should fear winning for the first time in 20 years. He is confronted by the head of the opposition Social Democrats (CHP), Kemal KilicdarogluSupported by a six-party coalition. The 69-year-old incumbent is also struggling with health issues in the final stretch of the election campaign. After a disturbance during a television interview on Tuesday night, Erdogan had to cancel all appointments on Wednesday.

➤ More here: Kemal Kilicdaroglu: Can this man overthrow Erdogan?