Turkish expatriates in Britain who voted in August’s presidential election were dwarfed last weekend by the Bulgarian community – despite the country being a tenth of Turkey’s size.
It was heralded as the first opportunity for Turkish citizens living abroad to have their say on events back at home.
But officials were left disappointed after fewer than 10 per cent of registered overseas voters turned out for Turkey’s first presidential election on 10 August.
In Britain, where scores of ballot boxes were set up in London for a potential 80,000 voters, barely 5,000 came to vote.
This low number was put in context after Bulgaria published the turnout figures for its parliamentary election, held last Sunday.
Bulgaria’s foreign ministry said 13,855 of its nationals had cast a vote, including 8,347 in London, nearly tripling the Turkish turnout.
The turnout is despite Bulgaria, with a population of 7.3 million, being about a tenth Turkey’s size. A census last year put the number of inhabitants in Turkey at 76.6 million.
COMPLICATED RULES, SIMPLIFIED
Critics said many Turkish overseas voters were put off by the strict rules set by Supreme Electoral Commission (YSK).
Polling stations required high speed internet access and needed to meet stringent security conditions. YSK rules also dictated that ballot boxes would not be set up in any country where fewer than 1000 Turkish nationals lived.
But the more relaxed rules surrounding overseas voting in Bulgaria’s election appear to have encouraged more nationals to vote.
LOCAL POLLING STATIONS
UK-based Bulgarian journalist Maria Spirova told Londra Gazete that in contrast to the 1000 citizens demanded by Turkey, just 40 Bulgarians could by law demand a ballot box is opened in their local area to allow them to vote.
This led to as many as 13 polling stations across London, in districts including Stratford, Sutton and Tottenham.
Ms Spirova said there were also polling stations in cities as far apart as Aberdeen, Newcastle and Oxford, to attract as many voters as possible.
Turkey permitted just one polling station in Britain. The venue in London’s Kensington Olympia was criticised for creating a difficult journey for London’s Turkish speakers and an impossible one for those living elsewhere in England, Scotland and Wales.
NO PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED
Nor did Bulgarian nationals have to register before arriving at the polling station, according to Ms Spirova. Voters who presented Bulgarian identification would were simply crossed off the national database of citizens to ensure they do not vote twice.
The YSK, on the other hand, said all Turkish nationals had to register by post with their local consulate. Voters were then required to book an appointment to vote online and risk being turned away if they arrived at the wrong time. Many simply did not bother.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan overwhelmingly won Turkey’s first direct presidential election in August, winning 52 per cent of the vote worldwide.
The centre-right GERB party of former prime minister Boyko Borisov appeared to set to return to power following Sunday’s Bulgarian parliamentary election, in which the minority Turkish party DPS came a close third.
