Voting abroad for the presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey continues. In Switzerland it has been possible to vote since Saturday morning. There are 105,821 registered voters. In the polling stations set up in Geneva, Zurich and Bern, 6,232 people voted on the first day. With the exception of minor incidents, voting went smoothly.

Low turnout on the first day

69,141 voters are registered in Zurich. The voting started twenty minutes late because initially the observers of the participating parties were not admitted. The representatives of the Green Left Party objected to this. Meanwhile, a long queue was waiting at the entrance. In the afternoon, it got quieter.

The Alevi association in Basel transported eligible voters to Zurich in rented buses all day long. In Switzerland, turnout on the first day was lower than expected. The representatives of the Green Left Party assume that it will go better today.

One vote for the Green Left Party, one for Kılıçdaroğlu

Yüksel Koç, co-chair of the Kurdish European Association KCDK-E, was in Switzerland on Saturday and visited all three polling stations.

Koç spoke to ANF about the strategic importance of the elections and called on everyone to cast their vote. "In order to end the massacre and genocide-based policies implemented by the AKP-MHP fascism under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we call for voting for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in the presidential elections and for the Green Left Party in the parliamentary elections. The foreign votes have a great influence in the elections in Turkey and are therefore of strategic importance."

Koç added that MPs in Hakkari, Ankara and Batman were lost in the 2018 elections, because there were too few votes from Europe. In Muş and Kocaeli, on the other hand, one seat in parliament was won thanks to foreign votes. "That's why every single vote is important. A single vote can see Erdoğan voted out. If you want change, you have to vote."

"We will strongly be represented in Parliament"

Among those entitled to vote in Switzerland are many people who live in exile in Turkey due to political persecution. Fatma Şık was co-mayor of the old town district of Sur in Amed and monitored the election process in Geneva.

"Voting is possible for nine days. These elections are very important to us. No one should postpone voting until the last day. We have to vote for the Green Left Party in order to increase the number of our deputies and to have a strong representation in parliament."

Provocation by AKP supporters

In Zurich on Saturday afternoon, AKP supporters provoked voters by making the fascist Gray Wolves symbol with their hands. They were sitting in a car in front of the polling station and shouted "Until death, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan". Since the police intervened immediately, there was no further provocation.