Presidential and parliamentary elections will take place in Turkey on 14 May. For the 3,286,786 eligible voters abroad, voting in 177 sites in 74 countries begins on 27 April and is possible until 9 May.

The party with great prospects of success is the Green Left Party, which is supported by the second largest opposition party, HDP, and also has a European representation. The HDP itself does not stand in the elections due to the illegalization trial against it.

At a press conference in Cologne, the European Elections Coordinator of the Green Left Party drew attention to the special significance of this year's elections and urged residents abroad to cast their votes. “Turkey stands at an important crossroads with the 14 May elections that will affect the fate of the whole country. As organizations and institutions of Turkish and Kurdish migrants in Europe, we call on all eligible citizens of the Republic of Turkey to vote for a democratic Turkey where peoples, faith, work, fundamental rights and freedoms are valued”, said Osman Ergin in Kurdish and Leyla Uyar in Turkish.

"Vote against the one-man regime!"

The call, supported by dozens of organizations, said: "We believe that a democratic Turkey will also make life easier for those of us who live abroad. The economic, social and cultural policies of the neoliberal, monist-fascist AKP-MHP alliance, which has been in power for 21 years, have done great damage to the peoples and the working people. Fundamental rights and liberties were restricted as far as possible, laws and regulations were suspended and the country was left to the profit motive and exploitation of a handful of capital owners. As the catastrophe of the Maraş earthquake on 6 February demonstrated once again, the country has been reduced to a wreck in every respect, as the country's resources have been used not for the needs of the people but for a handful of capital groups.”

The call continued: “On 14 May, Turkey has two choices: either continue the one-man regime and the destruction it has caused; or go for a new path with the strengthening of the Labor and Freedom Alliance and the Green Left Party by those who defend the people's demands for peace, democracy, freedom and a decent life. If the reactionary AKP-MHP government and its presidential candidate Erdoğan win again, it means that our peoples will pay an even higher price. To stop this trend and pave the way for a democratic Turkey, we call on all eligible voters living abroad to take part in the elections and vote against the one-man regime.”

The call said: “The demand of the people in Turkey for freedom, democracy, peace and a decent life is also the demand we, who live in European countries, have. We, the undersigned organizations, say that the Green Left Party is a party that supports our aspirations. For this reason, we invite all migrant workers living abroad who have the right to vote to put their trust in the Green Left Party. We call on all people of Turkish origin to vote for a more democratic, free and humane Turkey."

In addition to the European representations of the Green Left Party and HDP, the call was signed by the parties PIK, SYKP and KKP as well as large associations such as DIDF, KCDK-E, AvEG-KON, TJK-E, ATIK, CÎK, FEDA, DIK, PKAN, MARDEF, MÖP, ADEF, ADHK and SODAP.