Presidential candidate Ihsanoglu votes in Istanbul

Opposition candidate Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu cast his vote in Istanbul in Turkey's presidential election.

Presidential candidate Ihsanoglu votes in Istanbul
Opposition presidential candidate Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu cast his vote in Istanbul’s Sariyer district on Sunday.

Speaking to journalists after voting, he said he is expecting a transparent and decent election in the first poll for Turks to choose their president by popular vote.

“Turkey is striving to become a first-class democratic country,” Ihsanoglu, said. “I hope it will succeed today.”

Ihsanoglu, the joint candidate for the Republican People’s Part and the Nationalist Movement Party, is viewed as the main challenger to current Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, standing for the ruling Justice and Development Party.