Erdogan, ruling AK Party heading for victory in Turkish elections

Updated 8.41pm  - Tayyip Erdogan and his AK Party were heading for victory in Turkey's presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday, according to preliminary results, as the president sought to extend his 15-year rule. Although the margin of their lead narrowed steadily as votes were tallied across the nation of 81 million people, an AK Party official said Erdogan was expected to win more than the 50 percent required to avoid a runoff. An unexpectedly strong showing by the AK Party's alliance partner, the nationalist MHP, could also mean Erdogan secures the parliamentary majority he seeks to govern freely. However the opposition raised doubts about the accuracy and reliability of the figures released by state-run Anadolu news agency, the sole distributor of the official vote tally. Erdogan's main presidential rival, Muharrem Ince of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) urged election monitors to remain at polling stations to help ensure against possible election fraud. Sunday's vote ushers in a powerful new executive presidency long sought by Erdogan and backed by a small majority of Turks in a 2017 referendum. Critics say it will further erode democracy in...