Political leaders cast their votes

As more than 48 million registered voters across Turkey went to the polls yesterday to determine their municipal leaders, Turkey’s political leaders were in different places to cast their ballots in the local elections. President abdullah gül and Republican People’s Party, or chp, leader deniz baykal were in ankara while Prime Minister Recep tayyip erdoğan voted in ıstanbul, with all wishing the voting would be beneficial for the country. Speaking to the journalists after voting, Gül said: "We are experiencing one of the good sides of the democracy. All [political figures] say what they want to say. But the nation has the final word at the end. We are always proud that democracy in the country has so far worked in such a proper way, and what happens today is the same." Erdoğan, who voted in ıstanbul’s Üsküdar district, said that as a result of a long campaign, the Turkish nation was carrying out it biggest survey. "It will reveal our nation’s choice, and we will of course appreciate the result. In the last day of the election campaign, the death of a veteran politician, Great Union Party, or BBP, leader Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu, made us mourn. As a result of intense works, his body could be reached and the works are under way to find the journalist. Helicopters are still looking for him." Yazıcıoğlu’s death overshadows election Baykal voted in ankara’s Beysukent together with his wife and grandchild who voted for the first time in these local elections. He said Turkey was undergoing an important democracy exam and he hoped the elections would be beneficial for Turkey. Parliament Speaker Köksal Toptan was in ankara. Refusing to vote before the citizens who waited in the queue and offered their places to Toptan, Toptan insisted on waiting. "Democracy is a good thing," he said. Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Şahin voted in Baykal’s hometown, the Mediterranean city of antalya. He said Turkey went to the elections with resentment because of the death of Yazıcıoğlu. "His death overshadowed the election. Still, I believe that democracy will get stronger after the election. Our nation is embracing democracy and the multiparty life." He also said everybody should respect the results and that the elections should contribute to the solutions of problems and development of the country. Finance Minister kemal unakıtan, who recently underwent an operation in the United States, was in Eskişehir, his hometown. He said he would follow the election results in Eskişehir. He said he hoped the elections would be beneficial both for Eskişehir and Turkey. Former President Süleyman Demirel, meanwhile, voted in ankara, wishing the elections to be beneficial for Turkey.