Security levels to be raised for peaceful elections in Turkey

Growing concerns over the terror threat have prompted officials to raise security to the highest levels in the restive areas across the country's eastern and southeastern parts ahead of the snap elections on November 1.

The General Command of Military Police have dispatched commando and special operations forces to the volatile regions, so that citizens can go to the polling stations peacefully.

Armoured vehicles and military helicopters will escort the vehicles carrying ballot boxes and bags of ballot papers to the provincial and district election boards.

A temporary duty assignment has included tight security measures. Some military units, normally deployed in western Turkey, have been temporarily deployed in the east and the southeast ahead of the polls as part of heightened security measures.

The Interior Ministry announced that 255,000 police officers and 130,000 military police will be tasked to ensure security on the polling day.

People will go to the polling stations to elect members of the 26th Turkish Parliament. A total of 16 political parties will take part in the early elections.

Across Turkey, polling stations will open at 8 am and and close at 5 pm on Sunday. However, Turkey's High Election Board (YSK) said citizens will cast their votes between 7 am and 4 pm in the provinces of Adıyaman, Ağrı, Artvin, Bingöl, Bitlis, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Erzincan, Erzurum, Gaziantep, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hakkari, Kars, Malatya, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Muş, Ordu, Rize, Siirt, Sivas, Trabzon, Tunceli, Şanlıurfa, Van, Bayburt, Batman, Şırnak, Ardahan, Iğdır and Kilis.