Turks’ election today a departure from past

Turks vote today in the country’s first direct presidential election. Presidents were previously elected by Parliament – apart from former Gen. Kenan Evren who was confirmed in the post in a 1982 referendum, two years after he took power in a military coup.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is widely seen as the front-runner in the race to replace Abdullah Gul, who stepped aside in favor of Erdogan. Other candidates are Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the former chief of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas. Critics say the election campaign has been lopsided in favor of Erdogan, whose position has helped him dominate the airwaves.

If no candidate wins an outright majority today, a runoff election between the two top contenders will be held Aug. 24.

Associated Press