Voters head for beach after ballot

Many in the Mediterranean province of antalya woke early yesterday to go to the polls first thing so they could make the most of the warm weather. The streets were uncharacteristically crowded for a Sunday morning, with most antalya residents making sure they performed their civic duties before going to the beaches. antalya is currently governed by a Justice and Development Party, or akp, mayor, Menderes Türel, who is seen as the favorite to win again this term. Unfortunately for most, the number of people thinking the same thing formed long queues in front of the polling booths. Around 1 p.m., the queue at Kocademir Primary School in the Şirinyalı district flew outside the classrooms, and voters were waiting in the garden. Still, election fever gripped many. Nurhan Eken, 48, said she and her husband had also woken early in the morning to vote. "I am very excited about the results of this election, which has almost turned into the general elections, rather than the local ones." A schoolteacher, Ekram Eken, 53, said it was every citizen’s duty to vote. "Beyond the results, it is of great importance for every person to participate in the voting process and contribute to the results." Some had traveled from afar just to vote. Demet Esra Dolunay, a student at the ankara Bilkent University, came to antalya for the elections because she is registered here. "It took 12 hours to come to antalya by bus, but it is worth it. Although I do not live here for the time being, I think I have the right to contribute to shaping the election results in this city," she said. Dolunay said she was concerned over the possibility that there could be tampering with the results, telling Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that she was determined to wait in the garden until the ballot boxes were taken away. Some gather at civic centers to follow the elections"I want to see myself that everything is done in a ’democratic’ way here, and every conscious citizen should do the same thing, I think. Today is our day, and we should do our best not to allow some to violate this," she said. After voting, some people gathered at the party centers to show their support for their candidate and to wait for the minute-by-minute updates on the results. A. E., a 32-year-old pharmacist who did not want to give his name, was one of those people who came to the central bureau of the Republican People’s Party, or chp, after he voted at a nearby school. "I wanted to live this experience with these people whom I share the same political opinion with. I hope we will have the chance to celebrate the results together this evening," he said. A housewife who did not want to give her name seemed pessimistic about what the election would bring. "Although we went to vote this morning, we almost knew, or at least could anticipate, the results of these elections. Yes, I did not have any difficulty or pressure while voting, but it does not mean that we are living in a totally ’democratic’ country. "Whatever the results will be, I do hope it will be for the good of Turkey and antalya," she added. G. B., a civil servant, went to the antalya branch bureau of the akp. He was more optimistic of the results. "I believe the voting process has been carried out in a totally democratic environment today," he said. "Everybody is free to make his or her choice for the future of this country without feeling any pressure at the ballot boxes."