Turkish voters are casting their ballots in a highly contested constitutional referendum. Enough "yes" votes could grant sweeping powers to President Erdogan, radically changing Turkey's political system.
There is no question on the ballot paper, just the words 'yes' and 'no'Image: Getty Images/AFP/O. Kose
Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0400 UTC) in the east of Turkey on Sunday and an hour later in the west. Voting closed at 5 p.m. (1400 UTC) with results expected during the evening hours.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cast his ballot in Istanbul and told reporters after voting: "We have held referendums before. But this referendum is now about a new administrative system for the Republic of Turkey, it's a choice for change and transformation."
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has cast his vote in the western province of Izmir and said: "Whatever the result is, we will hold it in high esteem. The decision of our nation is the most beautiful decision."
However, one voter who said he was going to mark his ballot 'no' said "I don't want to get on a bus with no brake system. A one-man system is like that."
Turks vote on their constitution
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Over 55.3 million people are eligible to cast their ballots in 167,140 polling stations across the country on Sunday. Voters living abroad have already cast their ballots at Turkish diplomatic missions.
The most recent opinion polls predict that the result will be close, but give a narrow lead for the "Yes" vote. Around 10 percent of voters were undecided a day before the vote.
Security will be tight during Sunday's vote, with nearly 34,000 police on patrol in Istanbul alone. The militant "Islamic State" (IS) group has called for attacks against the referendum.
There were reports of a shooting at one voting station which led to "two dead, four wounded after dispute at referendum voting site in Diyarbakir. Soldiers and authorities at the scene"
The incident was apparently caused by two brothers with opposite views shooting at each other. During the incident one of the brothers died, as did their father, who attempted to break up the fight.
Election observers were "reportedly beaten and removed" from a voting station in Urfa Ceylanpinar
Voters stand in line ready to vote 'yes' or 'no'Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Fidan
Constitutional overhaul
Erdogan has called on Turkish citizens to cast their ballots in favor of 18 constitutional changes that would abolish the office of prime minister and give executive power to the president.
The package of amendments would also give the president the authority to draft the budget, declare a state of emergency and issue decrees to ministries without parliamentary approval.
Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) say the constitutional reforms are necessary to streamline the Turkish government and to counter security threats, including a failed military coup and a series of deadly bombings claimed by IS.
Critics argue that the amendments will cement Erdogan's hold on power with fewer checks and balances.
Erdogan, who came to power as prime minister in 2003, before assuming the presidency in 2014, could end up serving as president through 2029 if the "Yes" vote prevails on Sunday.
The referendum campaign has divided the nation and caused relations between Ankara and Europe to hit a new low.
Germany and the Netherlands barred Turkish ministers from holding rallies in support of the "Yes" vote, prompting Erdogan to call the moves "Nazi acts." He also said Turkey could reconsider ties with European Union after years of seeking membership in the EU.
The referendum vote also takes place during a strict state of emergency put in place after last July's failed coup.
The opposition "No" campaign has been hampered by restrictions, according to observers including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
rs/jm (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Voter uncertainty in Ankara's slum areas
In Ankara’s low-income districts, residents have seen increased benefits and social services under President Erdogan, but many remain undecided on expanding his powers in the upcoming referendum. Diego Cupolo reports.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Going up in smoke
A haze of smoke permanently hangs over Turkey’s low-income areas through the cold weather months. It’s the product of coal-fired ovens used to heat haphazardly built houses, known as "gecekondu" meaning "settled over night." Since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came into power, the nation’s poorest residents have received free coal to stay warm, but the welfare hasn’t always translated into votes.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Undecided voters
On Sunday Turks will vote in a referendum on whether to convert their country’s parliamentary system into a presidential one led by Erdogan and his governing Justice Development Party (AKP). While Erdogan has largely expanded social welfare programs and improved living standards for low-income voters, many people in Ankara’s slums remain undecided on how they’ll vote.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
The party for the poor
"When my husband was unemployed, I was thinking of how we would get coal. Then AKP gave it to us for free, and that’s when I understood this party is with the poor," Emel Yildirim, left, a mother of three, told DW. "Before it was hard to see a doctor. Now hospitals are more open to accepting poor people," she added.
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
The Kurdish vote
Yildirim, a Kurd, said she’s also concerned about conflicts between the Turkish state and Kurdish militants. "If Erdogan gets a 'Yes' vote, it could get better. He says he’s with peace," Yildirim said. "But if you ask Selahattin Dermitas [the jailed Kurdish opposition leader], he says Erdogan will drown Kurds in their blood … It’s hard to make a decision."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Skepticism prevails
A campaign banner is used as a couch cover in an alleyway, where mixed feelings over Erdogan prevail. Nearby, Ali, 25, who sells liver sandwiches from his family car, said, "On March 15, they gave people here bags of coal. Why would they do this in the spring? Winter is over. It’s obviously for the votes."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
"Problem with the system?"
Ali said his main concern was government corruption. "I don’t know if there’s a problem with the system or with the people that use the system," he told DW. "I have the same questions about Islam. Is it the religion or the people who use the religion that cause trouble? I sound like a 'No' voter, but I’m still undecided."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Following his lead
Three-year-old Ayse stands in front of her home. Her mother, who didn’t want to be named or photographed, said she would vote 'Yes' simply because her husband was doing so. Yildirim said her husband, a chef, was also voting 'Yes' because, "he believes whatever Erdogan says is right. He doesn’t ask questions or analyze anything. There’s no arguing with him."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Family affairs
Feride Turhan, right, pictured with her husband Mustafa, left, and their two sons in their living room. Feride said she still doesn’t understand what the referendum is about. "I’m not interested in politics, but I watch the news every day and no one has explained what the referendum is," she told DW. "I still don’t know which amendments are being changed."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Safety first
Like most residents in Ankara’s slums, Mustafa Turhan (not pictured here), who works the night shift at a vegetable and fruit warehouse, cited safety as his main concern. He said the AKP expanded ambulance service to low-income areas in recent years, but gun violence was increasing. "At night, people with ski masks and AK-47s rob people," Turhan said. "Even 10-year-olds have guns sometimes."
Image: DW/D. Cupolo
Steep learning curve
Mustafa also said schools weren’t improving in their neighborhood. "We accept the free coal because the state takes our taxes and it’s our way of getting them back," Mustafa told DW. "But we’d prefer if they invested more in schools so my sons could have better opportunities," like his eldest son, Mert, who is struggling to find work.
