Turkish Parliament set for election of speaker post

The speaker of the Turkish parliament is set to be elected today. Four candidates are contesting for the post, including Ismet Yilmaz from the Justice and Development (AK) Party, Deniz Baykal from the Republican People's Party (CHP), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), RIA Novosti reports.

According to the Turkish constitution, the election of the speaker shall be conducted via secret ballot. The first two ballots, which will take place today, require a two-thirds majority of the total members. In the third, to be held on July 1, an absolute majority is needed. If this cannot be obtained, a fourth ballot shall be held on the same day in a run-off between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the third.