Across Türkiye, polling stations host colorful scenes in elections
A man lets a parrot on his shoulder carry his ballot, in Denizli, Türkiye, May 28, 2023. (AA Photo)


Millions across Türkiye cast their ballots in the country's first runoff presidential elections under the new system, and the polling stations were home to numerous colorful scenes.

A woman in a school in Istanbul's Sarıyer took her sweater-wearing lamb to the ballot as the cute sheep followed her into the ballot box. Did it also cast a vote? It's anyone's guess.

The woman entered the school accompanied by her lamb as baffled voters took a moment to pet the cute sheep on the school's stairs.

A man in Denizli's Pamukkale arrived at the Şehit Mustafa Uygun Primary School on horseback but that wasn't the only animal accompanying the voter as he had a parrot on his shoulder as well.

Restaurant owner Mehmet Kıvılcım was accompanied by his parrot "Sulan" and his horse "Nazlı." After completing his voting process, Kıvılcım let his parrot carry the ballot on his shoulder and cast it into the box.

A man casts his ballot in traditional attire, in Muğla, Türkiye, May 28, 2023. (AA Photo)
A man leaves on horseback with a parrot on his shoulder after casting his ballot, in Denizli, Türkiye, May 28, 2023. (AA Photo)

Kıvılcım said that he wanted to add color to the day before he rode off away on Nazlı.

A couple in Yalova's Çiftlikköy district cast their votes in their wedding attire as they voted before attending their wedding ceremony.

Tarık Karataş, 27, and Leyla Balat, 27, arrived at their polling station a short time before the ballot boxes were closed, in a wedding dress and groom's suit.

The couple, who took the ballots and made their choices, dropped the envelopes together into the ballot box.

Karataş said that they had picked the wedding date months ago, but that it was a nice coincidence. "I hope it will be beneficial for our country and our nation," he said.

They were not the only ones to vote in their wedding attire as the Gizem Yirmibeş, 27, and Çelik Öztürk, 27, a couple in Zonguldak also arrived at their polling station with dazzling wedding costumes.

A woman casts her ballot in traditional Kyrgyz attire, in Van, Türkiye, May 28, 2023. (AA Photo)
A group of men arrive on horseback to cast their ballots in traditional Kyrgyz attire, in Van, Türkiye, May 28, 2023. (AA Photo)
Roma vote in the second round of the presidential elections, Düzce, Türkiye, May 28, 2023. (AA Photo)
A couple cast their votes in wedding attire, in Düzce, Türkiye, May 28, 2023. (AA Photo)

And the wedding trend was also seen across the country in many cities with many couples' most happy day coinciding with the election.

In Burdur, Abdurrahman Uladı did not have a wedding dress but instead cast his vote in traditional Turkic attire. Uladı, who is a soup maker in a Mehter band – a historical Ottoman military marching band – said that he has been volunteering in various events for many years and decided to cast his vote in his traditional clothes.

Kyrgyz people living in the Erciş district of Van went to the polls wearing their local clothes.

Kyrgyz Turks in Van's Erciş came to the school where their ballot boxes were located, wearing their traditional local clothes. Some of them even rode their horses to the school.

Cengiz Taç, one of the Kyrgyz Turks, said they wished to keep their traditions alive.

"We are trying to keep our traditions alive and promote our culture. We wanted to add color to the election by coming to vote with our horses," he said.

A couple cast their ballots in traditional Caucasian attire, in Kars, Türkiye, May 28, 2023. (AA Photo)
A couple cast their votes in wedding attire, in Yalova, Türkiye, May 28, 2023. (AA Photo)

Meanwhile, a couple in Kars voted in their local Caucasian outfits.

The Cem and Şeyda Kızılkaya couple arrived at the school where their ballot boxes were located in traditional Caucasian clothes and also performed local Caucasian figure dancing.

Cem Kızılkaya said that he wished for the elections to be beneficial for the nation.

"We continue to serve this dance and this culture with my wife. We are a little excited, we decided to make a first. It was nice for us, I hope it will be good for our country," he said.