Turkey's overseas citizens get first polling booths

Turkish nationals living abroad will be able to vote in their country of residence for the first time from Thursday when they can cast their vote in the presidential election.

Voting booths are to be installed at locations, such as embassies and consulates, in countries with a significant Turkish ex-pat community.

Polling for overseas Turks began at Turkish border posts on Saturday but voting abroad starts on Thursday and runs until Monday, with the number of days varying from country to country.

According to the High Election Board, more than 53 million people are eligible to vote inside Turkey and 2.7 million abroad. The August 10 election will be the first time Turks have voted directly for the president, who was previously selected by lawmakers.