Turkish President Casts Vote in Turkey's Local Elections

Erdogan -- whose political career began as mayor of Istanbul in 1994 -- also mentioned last year’s hard-fought parliamentary and presidential elections and hope that "these will be instrumental in the beginning of a new era, a new century in our country.”

According to TRT, after voting in the city’s Uskudar district, Erdogan stressed the importance of participation in the elections, urging all eligible citizens to "come out and make their choice."

Voting began across Türkiye on Sunday to elect city mayors, district mayors, and other local officials who will serve for the next five years, including in the hotly-contested cities of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.

Voting started at 7 am local time and will continue through 4 pm in 32 eastern provinces, and in the remaining provinces, polling stations opened at 8 am and closed at 5 pm.

In the March 31 local elections, more than 61 million voters nationwide are eligible to cast their votes at over 200,000 polling stations with candidates from 34 political parties competing.