Turkey: Voting Begins To Elect New Parliament Speaker

Voting has begun to elect the speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly for the 25th term. 



In accordance with the Turkish Constitution, the election of the speaker is being conducted via secret ballot.



Four candidates are competing for the post, including Ismet Yilmaz, 53, from the Justice and Development (AK) Party; Deniz Baykal, 76, from the Republican People's Party (CHP); Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, 71, from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP); and Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat, 71, from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).



The voting process began exactly at 3.20 p.m., local time (1220 GMT) at the Turkish Parliament.



The first two ballots require a two-thirds majority of the total members. In the third, to be held on July 1, an absolute majority is needed.



If this cannot be obtained, a fourth ballot shall be held on the same day in a run-off between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the third. - Ankara