Istanbul turnout is mostly along party lines

Turkish voters turned out in droves in Istanbul, with queues streaming out of polling stations where many lingered to discuss the possible consequences of the elections.

“This is our vote – whether there is interference by foreign or domestic powers, we are soldiers of Ataturk and we will not let the country go to the dogs,” said Esra Deniz, a supporter of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Many voters said this was the last chance for Turkish democracy, after a referendum last year approved constitutional changes pushed for by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to move from a parliamentary to a presidential system.

“Fifty-five per cent of people do not feel relaxed because there is no democracy or justice – it’s a one-man show,” said Ayhan Ozturk, 56, a representative of the nationalist Iyi Party, after voting.

But Mr Erdogan has significant support from his conservative base. “I’m 40 and I’ve always voted for AKP – I lived through CHP and those were not good times, but economic times have got better under AKP,” said Orhan Kaya, 40, a jeweller from the Fatih district.

Who voters choose can often be predicted by neighborhood in Istanbul. In the well-heeled Bebek area, workers almost all vote for the secular CHP. In the majority Kurdish area of Tarlabasi, voters back the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party.

Across the Golden Horn, in Fatih, voters are more likely to choose AKP, although this varied from polling station to polling station.