Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made his way back to the capital city of Ankara after casting his votes in the presidential and parliamentary elections in Istanbul, the city where he was born, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.
Though polls closed at 5 p.m. local time (10 a.m. EDT), Turkish law permits anyone to vote even after the cut-off time by producing a document that verifies their identity, the report said.
Erdogan's arrival in the capital reportedly caught several people by surprise as it was unscheduled.
Traditionally, the president casts their votes in their home city and waits at their residence to follow the results, Al Jazeera noted. This time, Erdogan made an exception and flew to Ankara. He will watch the results trickle in at the AKP party headquarters, according to the outlet.
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The presidential election is one of the most contentious in Turkey's history due to disgruntlement over the Erdogan's handling of the economy and the earthquake that hit the country in February, which claimed the lives of over 50,000 people.
It is widely expected that Erdogan's 20-year reign will come to an end. Opinion polls suggest his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of a six-party alliance, has a slight edge over the incumbent, Reuters previously reported.
If the presidential election does not end with a clear result, a runoff is scheduled to be held on May 28.
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