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| Turkey election: Erdogan's AK Party seeks majority | Turkey election: Erdogan's AK Party seeks majority |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Turks are going to the polls in parliamentary elections for the second time in five months. | |
| The AK Party, formed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, failed to retain its majority in June's poll. | |
| Attempts to form a coalition government since then have proved unsuccessful. | |
| Security is the key issue in the election after weeks of violence involving Kurdish militants and bomb attacks blamed on the Islamic State (IS) group. | |
| Mr Erdogan has promised a return to stability if his party wins a majority. | Mr Erdogan has promised a return to stability if his party wins a majority. |
| "This election will be for continuity of stability and trust," he said after praying at a new mosque in Istanbul on Saturday. He vowed to respect the result. | "This election will be for continuity of stability and trust," he said after praying at a new mosque in Istanbul on Saturday. He vowed to respect the result. |
| But his opponents warn that an outright victory would fuel what they see as his increasingly authoritarian tendencies. | But his opponents warn that an outright victory would fuel what they see as his increasingly authoritarian tendencies. |
| More on Turkey's crucial vote: | More on Turkey's crucial vote: |
| If the AK Party again fails to secure a single-party majority in the 550-seat parliament, it may be forced back to the negotiating table with either the country's main secularist CHP opposition or the nationalist MHP. | If the AK Party again fails to secure a single-party majority in the 550-seat parliament, it may be forced back to the negotiating table with either the country's main secularist CHP opposition or the nationalist MHP. |
| At June's election, Mr Erdogan sought a two-thirds majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic, but his Islamist-rooted AK Party fell short. | At June's election, Mr Erdogan sought a two-thirds majority to turn Turkey into a presidential republic, but his Islamist-rooted AK Party fell short. |
| The pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) upset his ambitions by crossing the 10% threshold, securing seats in parliament for the first time. | The pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) upset his ambitions by crossing the 10% threshold, securing seats in parliament for the first time. |
| In July, a ceasefire between the Turkish army and militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) collapsed after a suicide bombing by suspected Islamic State (IS) militants near the border with Syria, which killed more than 30 Kurds. | In July, a ceasefire between the Turkish army and militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) collapsed after a suicide bombing by suspected Islamic State (IS) militants near the border with Syria, which killed more than 30 Kurds. |
| Turkey then suffered its worst terror attack when more than 100 people were killed after a peace rally attended by mainly left-wing demonstrators was attacked by two suicide bombers. The government said they were linked to IS. | Turkey then suffered its worst terror attack when more than 100 people were killed after a peace rally attended by mainly left-wing demonstrators was attacked by two suicide bombers. The government said they were linked to IS. |
| Critics have accused Mr Erdogan of renewing violence to curb support for the HDP - something the government denies. | Critics have accused Mr Erdogan of renewing violence to curb support for the HDP - something the government denies. |
| The HDP's leader Selahattin Demirtas said on Saturday that some of his party's officials had been taken into custody, and questioned whether the election would be fair. | The HDP's leader Selahattin Demirtas said on Saturday that some of his party's officials had been taken into custody, and questioned whether the election would be fair. |
| "We took the dictator down despite everything, and tomorrow we will show him how strong the power of the people is despite his impositions," he said. | "We took the dictator down despite everything, and tomorrow we will show him how strong the power of the people is despite his impositions," he said. |
| However, analysts say Sunday's vote is unlikely to resolve the deep divisions in Turkish society. | However, analysts say Sunday's vote is unlikely to resolve the deep divisions in Turkish society. |