Bulgaria to set up 166 polling stations in Türkiye for weekend snap elections

TEKIRDAG, Türkiye

A total of 166 ballot boxes will be set up across Türkiye for Bulgaria's snap elections on Sunday, according to a regional representative of one of the parties taking part in the vote.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Guner Cetin of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms stressed the importance of the coming election to be held after political parties in the country failed to form a government earlier this year.

Bulgarians with dual Turkish citizenship also had the right to cast their ballot in the elections, Cetin said and called on people to vote.

"There are 166 ballot boxes in Türkiye for these elections. We opened these ballot boxes by collecting declarations from citizens. In other words, they declared that they wanted to vote," he said, noting that "at least 110,000 votes" were expected to be cast in these elections.

He added: "I'd like to make a call, especially to young people, that everyone should head to the polls on Sunday to support the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and do their best for the stability of Bulgaria."

Bulgaria is set to hold snap elections on Sunday, as the third and final attempt to form a government in the country failed this summer.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), which on July 18 was given a mandate to form a government, officially returned it to President Rumen Radev.

These elections will be the fourth in two years for the Balkan country, which has been marred by political instability since Prime Minister Kiril Petkov's government was toppled in a no-confidence vote in June.

According to a recent poll, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms continues to command vast support from the country's Turkish minority and is forecast to receive over 10% of votes in total.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan