Turkey: AKP victory expected as polls close in Istanbul

The last voters cast their ballot as polls for the Turkish general elections closed at Doga College, Istanbul at 4.00pm ECT (3.00pm CET, 2.00pm GMT+1) Sunday. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's conservative Justice and Development (AKP) party, which has been in power for over 12 years now, is expected to win the election according to the latest polls. The objective of the conservatives is, however, to maintain a majority in the 550-seat parliament. By securing 330 seats, the AKP will be able to draft constitutional changes that would give the president more power. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) are forecast to make it over the 10 percent threshold for the first time. The political situation prior to the election has been tense, with bombings against an HDP rally on Friday and a subsequent exchange of harsh rhetoric between the ruling party and Kurdish party leaders.