Turks living abroad have started casting their ballots for their homeland’s May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections. Polling stations have been gradually opening since last week. Amid the critical vote, which will decide on the fate of incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, authorities maintain election safety through a series of security measures.

Diplomatic couriers and members of the "transportation commissions" of the electoral body will accompany the transportation of the votes cast abroad to Türkiye. Türkiye will enlist three airplanes from its flagship carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) to carry them home for European ballots. The Foreign Ministry and THY will coordinate the route of flights, which will also transport YSK officials in charge of overseas voting. The planes will take off from Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, London, Cologne, Munich and Lyon, but officials plan to increase the number of flights if needed.

Diplomatic couriers will be formally handed the ballots cast abroad after signing the necessary paperwork and will be required to carry them on their person in passenger seats. Law enforcement officials will escort their transportation to the YSK after flights land. Representatives of political parties will also be present in the process of transportation.

The Supreme Election Council (YSK) of Türkiye arranged polling stations abroad for more than 3.4 million eligible voters in 73 countries and 156 locations where Turkish diplomatic missions serve. Voting at the diplomatic missions will end on May 9, while voters can vote at customs gates at the borders until May 14. More than 4,600 ballot boxes were placed at 46 customs gates for around-the-clock voting.

Over the weekend, more polling stations were opened to Turkish voters. As a result, Turkish citizens living in the U.S. on Saturday started casting their ballots. Some 134,246 Turks can vote and will go to the polls across the U.S. until May 7. In addition, as many as seven polling stations have been set up at diplomatic missions, i.e., the Turkish Embassy in Washington and consulates in New York, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami and Los Angeles.

Dilek Yarman, 52, who has been living in the U.S. for four years, said she was "excited" to vote and sees it as a contribution to the country. "It is a responsibility that needs to be fulfilled," she told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Saturday.

One of the first people to vote at the Turkish Embassy in Washington, Turkish expat Oktay Nalcaoglu told AA he was happy to do his "civic duty." "This is something we do every five years," he said. "We did our part for democracy. We set an example for our children."

Ayşe Nalcaoglu, another Turkish expat, said this year’s elections are "very important for our country." "We are here to be the children of a democratic order. We have done our duty; we are very excited and hopeful," she said.

Turks living in Britain also began heading to the voting stations Saturday in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Leicester. Those living in the central England regions had to in the past travel to London or Manchester to vote, making it difficult for many families. But this time, Türkiye allowed its citizens to vote in the central English city of Leicester.

Murat Şükrü Acar, a Turkish Brit who has been living in Leicester for the last 25 years, told AA that Türkiye is allowing its citizens to cast their votes outside a diplomatic mission. "This is something to be proud of for us as the citizens can cast their votes easily here. We’re happy for our state to provide us with such a service," said Acar. A total of 127,281 registered voters can vote until May 7 at polling stations set up in the four cities.

The station in Leicester is at a rugby club’s premises next to its stadium. Election officials told AA that many from across the region had been queuing up starting in the early morning of the first day. Those who arrived at the station were mainly residents of Leicester, Coventry, Birmingham, Loughborough, Nottingham, Cambridge and other cities in the Midlands region, which covers a significant portion of central England.

Yalçın Sair, who has spent most of his life in Leicester, will vote for the first time. "If the voting station were in another city, I probably wouldn’t be able to go due to my work. So I would have to think about it a bit," he said.

Berker Tekgül, a master’s degree student from Leicester’s De Montfort University, said he would have cast his vote even if he had to go to London. "It’s a great advantage for us to vote here in Leicester as it will increase participation. I believe this will make this election more democratic," the business law student said.

Turkish citizens living in Lebanon on Monday started casting their ballots. Some 8,336 Turks who are eligible to vote can go to the polls in Lebanon.

Speaking to AA, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Barış Ulusoy said: "We have made all our preparations so that our citizens can vote safely."

In this election, Erdoğan is facing his toughest test in over two decades; he led his Justice and Development (AK Party) to victory in successive elections. This time, the opposition is more united and accepted the leadership of Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Kılıçdaroğlu is the only viable candidate against Erdoğan. However, the CHP has lost every election under his leadership, as the main opposition bloc comprises political parties with few voters. A poll by survey company Areda conducted with 17,400 people across the country between April 15 and April 20 shows Erdoğan would win 51.4% of the vote. Kılıçdaroğlu was expected to garner 41.8% of the vote, while he is followed by other candidates, Muharrem Ince and Sinan Oğan, who would win 4.6% and 2.2% of the vote, respectively.

Like in Türkiye, the AK Party was victorious in the 2018 presidential elections abroad. Erdoğan garnered more than 59% of the vote abroad, ahead of his rival Muharrem Ince, who won only 25.8%. Most of the votes for both candidates were from Europe, where the AK Party boasts massive support among the Turkish diaspora. In the 2018 elections, Erdoğan received 64% of the votes in Germany, 63% in France, 72% in the Netherlands, 74% in Belgium and 71% in Austria.