Turkish constitutional referendum

Voting ends at the diplomatic missions abroad on May 9 for Türkiye's upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14 at home, while citizens abroad can still cast votes at border gates.

Polling stations were closed in most European countries yesterday. However, voting will continue in Austria, Denmark, France, Germany and Luxembourg until late May 9.

A parliamentary commission has approved a constitutional amendment package tabled by the ruling alliance that stipulates lifting restrictions against women wearing headscarf in public and private spaces, and strengthening the family structure.

A bill, which envisions a security investigation for those who will be appointed to the public for the first time, was rejected by opposition parties' votes at the parliament on March 31.

A Constitutional Court decision to annul the law on security investigation and archive research upon an appeal of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) was published in the Official Gazette on April 28 and entered into force.

Turkey's presidency submitted late Dec. 30 a motion on deploying troops to Libya to Parliament Speaker Mustafa Şentop, who called an extraordinary meeting for the general assembly to convene to vote against or in favor of the motion on Jan. 2.

The Turkish government plans to bring a motion on troops deployment to Libya to the parliament speaker's office on Dec. 30.

Parliament, which is on currently on recess, would have to be called for an emergency meeting to discuss the motion at the General Assembly.

Citizens head to the polls around across Turkey on June 24 in snap presidential and parliamentary elections to elect 600 lawmakers and the country's first president with broad executive powers. 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused foreign powers of trying to "weaken" the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), after the Turkish government criticized Germany for allowing opposition rallies and a French magazine for portraying Erdoğan as a "dictator."

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ on May 27 criticized Germany for allowing a Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) rally in Cologne city, accusing Berlin of taking sides in the upcoming June 24 elections in Turkey.

Turkey's youth will determine the outcome of the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said, while adding that constitutional amendments of the 2017 referendum lowered the age to be elected from 25 to 18.