MOSCOW, May 10. /TASS/: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday extended best wishes to Turkey for successful presidential and parliamentary elections slated for May 14, and expressed confidence that they would be fair and transparent.
"I would like to wish my Turkish counterparts a successful general election," Russia’s top diplomat said, opening a meeting on the peace process in Syria with the Syrian, Turkish and Iranian foreign ministers. "I am confident that they [these elections] will be fair and transparent and that they will enable the Turkish nation to express their will without any external meddling," he added.
Lavrov highlighted Turkey’s international and regional prestige as a country that he said was "a good neighbor and an important partner" for Russia, noting that this has increased in recent years. "We are seeking to expand and deepen our bilateral cooperation," he emphasized.
Turkey will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Sunday, May 14. Four candidates are vying for the presidency, with the marquee rivalry between incumbent leader, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and united opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu. To win, a candidate must garner more than 50% of the total votes cast. Turkish political analysts say it may be necessary to hold a runoff on May 28, depending on the outcome of Sunday’s balloting.
