Turkey: Russians vote early for presidential election

By Sahin Oktay, Isa Turhan and Nazli Yuzbasioglu

ANKARA (AA) - Early voting has begun in Turkey for the Russian presidential election, namely in the western Izmir province on Wednesday.

Eleven polling stations have been made available in Turkey for voting in the Russian presidential election.

In a statement issued earlier this month, the Russian Embassy in Ankara invited citizens residing in Turkey to head to the polls for Russian presidential election set for March 18.

On that day, polling stations will open at the Embassy in Ankara, as well as in consulates general in Antalya, Istanbul and Trabzon.

However, early voting has already taken place in six other Turkish cities: Alanya (Antalya Province), Bursa, Darica (Kocaeli Province), Kemer (Antalya Province), Mersin and Eskisehir.

In Izmir, polls are open Wednesday and Thursday.

In Darica, numerous Ahiska Turks voted in the Russian presidential election, the head of the Ahiska Turks Culture and Solidarity Association Halil Aslan told Anadolu Agency,

Ahiska Turks were expelled from Georgia’s Meskheti region by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1944.

Turkey has voluntarily accepted thousands of Ahiska Turks.

According to the World Ahiska Turks Association (DATUB), around 80,000 Ahiska Turks live in Turkey.

*Faruk Zorlu contributed to this story from Ankara.