Istanbul, 14 May 2023 (dpa/MIA) — The counting of ballots has begun in Turkey's high-stakes elections after some 64 million citizens were called on to vote for a new president and parliament on Sunday.

The first reliable results are expected later in the evening, after polling stations closed at 5 pm (1400 GMT) as planned.

Observers predict a neck-to-neck race between incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has ruled the country for more than 20 years, and his main challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu who has the support of a camp of different opposition parties.

According to Turkey's electoral commission, voting went ahead without disruptions.