Turkey Votes in Crucial General Elections

Polling stations across Turkey opened at 8 o'clock local time in the country's general elections.

The elections are deemed crucial for the plans of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to change the constitution and turn Turkey into a presidential republic.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has been the ruling party since 2002, is the undisputed frontrunner.

If the AKP wins a two-thirds majority, Erdogan will be able to change the constitution, thereby turning Turkey from a parliamentary republic into a presidential republic, according to reports of the BBC News.

However, if the pro-Kurdish opposition HDP crosses the 10% threshold and enters parliament for the first time, AKP will end up with a smaller number of seats and Erdogan's plans will be thwarted.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) ranks second in opinion polls, while the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) is third.

A total of 20 political parties are vying for seats in Turkey's 550-seat parliament.

The number of eligible voters, including in Turkey and abroad, is over 56 million.