Biden voices bizarre comment about Türkiye’s presidential election

US President Joe Biden has offered a bizarre comment about Türkiye’s presidential election.

“I hope whoever wins, wins. There are enough problems in that part of the world,” CNN quotes Biden as saying during a bike ride in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on May 14.

More than 64.1 million people were registered to vote in the elections, including over 1.76 million who already cast their ballots abroad and 4.9 million first-time voters. A total of 191,885 ballot boxes have been set up for voters in the country.

Every voter cast two ballots, one for the president and the other for lawmakers, who will serve five-year terms. Voters will choose between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is seeking reelection, leading opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Sinan Oğan. Muharrem Ince, another presidential contender, withdrew from the race earlier on May 11.

However, despite his withdrawal, the Supreme Election Council (YSK) – Türkiye's election authority – has affirmed the validity of votes for the candidate.

Over 30 political parties and 150 independent parliamentary candidates compete in the elections. Five multiparty blocs are in the running: the People's Alliance, the Nation Alliance, the Ancestral Alliance, the Labour and Freedom Alliance, and the Union of Socialist Forces Alliance.