On the first of November, parliamentary elections are being held in Turkey, where citizens will cast ballots for the second time in five months, according to news reports.
The elections come after the Justice and Development (AK) Party, which was formed by the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, failed to retain the overwhelming majority in parliamentary polls in June 2015.
In the subsequent months, several attempts were made to create a coalition government in the country, but to no avail.
My buddy @Um_Uras is in Istanbul covering these crucial snap elections in Turkey. Follow him for updates #turkeyelections
— Azad Essa (@azadessa) 1 ноября 2015
Security is tight during today's elections given weeks of violence involving an array of bomb attacks thought to be the work of Islamic State militants.
Parliamentary Elections in Turkey: the stakes are really high
— Primus (@Primus20151) 1 ноября 2015
Erdogan, for his part, pledged to maintain stability in his country if his Islamist-rooted party wins a majority.
"This election will be for continuity of stability and trust," Erdogan was quoted as saying on Saturday.
In June's election, the AK Party was unsuccessful in its bid to turn Turkey into a presidential republic, which would have necessitated a two-thirds majority vote.
Upsetting the AKP was the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), which managed to cross the 10-percent threshold and for the first time secure representation in Turkey's parliament.
