ANKARA, Turkey — Voting has begun to elect local officials across Turkey to elect municipal officials across the country.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is seeking to solidify recent electoral success, as opposition including the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) wants a check on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Party.
Official campaigning ended at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in eastern areas, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. elsewhere because of daylight. About 57 million people in Turkey are eligible to vote, including about 1.2 million new voters.
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