Turkish expats in 57 countries to vote in upcoming referendum

Turkish citizens living abroad will be voting at designated locations set up in 57 countries during the upcoming referendum for the constitutional changes, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Mustafa Yeneroğlu said on Sunday.

"In the last elections, there were voting stations in 54 countries. Now we will have them set up in 57 countries and be active in the field. We [AK Party] received 60 percent of the votes in the last elections. We are confident in the decision of our nation and we are preparing our work accordingly," Yeneroğlu said during an interview with the Turkish daily Yeni Şafak.

Yeneroğlu, who is the president of the Commission on Human Rights Investigation in Parliament and the head of the AK Party Overseas Election Coordination Center, added that Turkish expat voters will play a significant role in the results.

"In this election, there will be about 3.05 million expat voters. When you compare this with voters in Turkey, it equates to nearly 6.5 percent of the total voters. As such, the votes will directly affect the referendum," Yeneroğlu said. He added that in the last elections nearly 2.98 million eligible people voted.

The referendum on the constitutional changes, proposed by the AK Party and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), is expected to be held in early April. The most significant change in the amendment package will be switching from a parliamentary to a presidential system.