Turkish citizens abroad begin voting in national election

Millions of Turkish citizens living abroad began voting Thursday in national elections that will decide whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can govern Turkey for another term.

The overseas balloting began amid concerns over Erdogan’s health, after he was forced to cancel election rallies on Wednesday and Thursday. However, he was scheduled to attend a ceremony Thursday via video link to mark the inauguration of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant.

Among the biggest contingent of overseas voters are 1.5 million Turks in Germany, who can cast their ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections at 16 polling sites across the country until May 9. Voting in Turkey itself doesn't take place until May 14.

During the previous election five years ago, a significant majority of Turkish voters in Germany backed Erdogan. It is unclear whether the 69-year-old will receive the same level of backing from them this year.

Opinion polls in Turkey showing a slight lead for Erdogan's main challenger, center-left opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is backed by the cross-party Nation Alliance.

Erdogan has been criticized for his increasingly authoritarian rule and handling of the economy and rampant inflation in recent years.

Germany's Agriculture Minister Cem Ozdemir, who has family roots in Turkey, told the RND media group that a victory for Kilicdaroglu “would pave the way for a return to democracy” in Turkey.