Turkey votes in crucial test for Erdogan

VOTING in a general election has began across Turkey, with observers keeping a close eye on whether either of a pair of historical outcomes comes to pass.
MOST attention is focused on Kurdish voters, as the pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HDP) seeks to become the first Kurdish party to enter the country's parliament.
To do so, it must win 10 per cent of the vote. Tensions are high in Kurdish parts of the country after a bombing attack at an HDP rally on Friday and there are worries there could be unrest if the HDP does not enter the parliament. Additionally, if the HDP does not get in, the odds are higher that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will win a super-majority. That could give it the strength to dramatically increase the powers of the president's office, a long-sought goal of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a former AKP member. Erdogan opponents fear such an outcome, arguing that he already has too much power and could use the extra authority to drown out political foes. About 56.6 million Turks are eligible to vote for the parliament's 550 seats. Voting stations are set to close at 1am on Monday (AEST), with early results expected a few hours later.