1st LD Writethru: Turks cast ballots to elect lawmakers in snap election

Turkish voters went to polls on Sunday to elect 550 members of the parliament in a snap election just five months after the June 7 parliamentary election, in which the ruling party lost its 13-year majority and failed to form a coalition government.

The snap election is unlikely to result in the formation of a single-party government as no political parties seem able to get a majority, similar to the outcome of the last election.

In June, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) founded by Turkish President Recep Erdogan failed to gain 276 seats in parliament, the number needed for a legislative majority, and formed an interim government, marking the loss of its 13-year majority in Parliament.

But the AKP was still in the lead with 40.87 percent of the votes garnered, followed by the Republican People's Party (CHP) with 24.95 percent, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) with 16.29 percent and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) with 13.12 percent, according to the Supreme Election Council.

In the snap election, voting began at 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) and will end at 5:00 p.m.(1400 GMT).

Some 385,000 security officers were called in to provide security since the country has been in tension of renewed clashes between government troops and the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) forces since July.

Over 54 million Turks are estimated to cast their ballots and the voting results are expected to come out late Sunday night.

A total of 17 political parties representing 85 constituencies in 81 provinces are running in the election. Endi