Turkey Votes in First Direct Presidential Election
VOA News August 10, 2014
Europe • August 2014 • Views: 407
Millions of people in Turkey are voting Sunday in the country’s first direct presidential election.
Turnout is expected to be high as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, former chief of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Selahattin Demirtas of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party.
Erdogan is the front-runner. If elected, he says he intends to change the constitution and establish an executive presidency. In the past, Turkey’s presidents have been ceremonial figureheads.