ANKARA: Turnout among Turkish expatriates voting abroad for the first time fell short of expectations, officials said yesterday, with just 8 percent of those eligible taking part in a presidential election which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to win.
Erdogan had been hoping to draw strong support from parts of the 2.8 million Turkish population abroad and one official from his ruling AK Party said the low turnout would hit him the most, though opposition supporters also appear to have stayed away.
Voting abroad, mainly at embassies and consulates, began on July 31 and finished on Sunday.
REUTERS
