SAN CLEMENTE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 23, 2023--

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Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to strengthen his legacy today as his nation’s most consequential leader since its founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, in an election run-off with major implications. Mr Erdogan has been campaigning frenetically in the weeks since he exceeded polling forecasts but fell shy of an outright majority in the 14 May first round of the elections, forcing Turkey into a run-off for the first time in its history. He faces off against Kemal Kilcdaroglu, leader of the centre-left People’s Republican Party (CHP) and architect of a six party opposition coalition which has posed the greatest political challenge to Mr Erdogan in his 20 years as either prime minister or president of Turkey. The election, on the centennial of Turkey’s founding as a modern republic, carries enormous weight for the country. It is seen as something of a defining moment in its political and cultural identity. Mr Erdogan represents an Islamically tinged nationalism, with appeals to Turkey’s Ottoman imperial past. Mr Kilicdaroglu and his party have sought to define themselves as European, steeped in an ideology and lineage rooted in Ataturk’s version of secularism. The election may also impact the dynamics of Nato, of which Turkey is a longtime member, and affect the outcome of the war between Russia and Ukraine as well as ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa. Lines at polling stations were reportedly shorter and more relaxed than the first round of the elections, in large part because voters face a simpler single ballot with two candidates rather than the complicated parliamentary choices of two weeks ago. Mr Erdogan appeared to be doing well in the run-up to the vote despite lingering worries over the economy he has overseen. “I think the country is doing well,” said Songul Safak, a 36-year-old jeweller who voted for Mr Erdogan. “The economy is doing badly because of the actions of other countries. In one video clip that went viral, a voter brought her pet lamb to the polls, the fluffy white creature in a striped sweater trundling behind her as she obtained and cast her ballot. Others brought their dogs and pet parrots. Turnout will be key, with more than 64 million registered voters, including nearly 2 million aboard who have already voted at record rates. Voters are heading to nearly 192,000 ballot boxes set up at school classrooms and community centres. Polls will close at 1700 local time (1400 GMT), with results trickling out an hour later. “We think that this election’s results will emerge earlier than the last time,” election authority chief Ahmet Yener told local media. There have been multiple reports of irregularities, including in an incident in the heavily contested southeastern province of Sanliurfa where opposition lawyers seeking to look into allegations of ballot stuffing were barred from a polling station. Mr Erdogan and his allies control much of the broadcast media and have been flooding the airwaves with his speeches in recent days while giving Mr Kilicdaroglu scant airtime. Turkey’s mobile phone authority recently barred the use of the country’s text-messaging services for political purposes, disallowing Mr Kilicdaroglu from sending texts to supporters while allowing Mr Erdogan to use the medium in his capacity as a government official. The country’s election laws were adjusted last year in ways critics said favoured Mr Erdogan. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which monitored the vote, stated in a report that Turkey’s election law “has substantial shortcomings and does not fully provide a sound legal basis for the conduct of democratic elections.” Crucial issues on voters’ minds include the status of migrants and refugees, national security matters and Turkey’s place in the world. But the country’s spiralling economy remains the top issue on everyone’s tongue and the one most impacting daily lives. The country’s inflation rate is among the highest in the world, and wages have failed to keep up with housing and food costs. “If it goes on like this Turkey will be Argentina in a few months,” Nevsin Mengu, an independent political analyst and broadcaster, said in an interview, referring to the Latin American country which has been for decades an international poster child for economic mismanagement. Mr Erdogan has dug deep into the country’s reserves and procured massive credits from Arabian Peninsula and Asian nations to prop up the Turkish lira. “Some countries from the Gulf and such stocked money in our system,” the president conceded in an interview with CNNTurk on Friday. “This relieved our central bank and market, even if for a short while." Despite his handling of the economy, Mr Erdogan’s path to victory today appears far easier and even assured compared to that of his challenger, opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. He drew just short of 45 per cent while Mr Erdogan fell just a few hundred thousand votes short of securing a first-round victory. Opposition figures tried to remain upbeat. “I see a very high probability of Kilicdaroglu winning the election,” opposition party leader Ali Babacan told reporters after voting. But the opposition’s poor first-round performance has demoralised its supporters. “I think the elections are not fair at all, and I think Erdogan will ultimately win,” said Zeynel Circir, a 53-year-old electrical engineer voting in Istanbul. The first-round performance prompted Mr Kilicdaroglu to shift the tone and emphasis of his campaign from a message of hope and inclusiveness to focus almost exclusively on the several million Syrian and other refugees and migrants in the country. A victory by Mr Erdogan’s will spur soul-searching and perhaps major changes within the opposition. “The ballot box result is full of messages that need to be examined and lessons that need to be learned,” Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a leading opposition figure, said after casting his ballot. Yusuf Sayman contributed to this report.

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When people first ripped down the Pride flag hanging outside her Cedar Glen clothing store, Laura Ann Carleton simply got another and hung it straight back up. Friends say this happened multiple times in the two years since she opened the California store as a second outpost to her first location in Studio City. And, throughout it all, the 66-year-old mother-of-nine remained defiant as a prominent ally to the LGBT+ community. This weekend, it happened once again. Except this time, the flag removal ended with her murder – with the perpetrator shooting her in cold blood in the street. On Friday, police said that the gunman began complaining about the Pride flag hanging outside of the store on Hook Creek Road. He then pulled out a gun, fatally shooting Carleton. The killer, who was named by authorities as Travis Ikeguchi, 27, then fled the scene before being tracked down and killed in an encounter with law enforcement. Hollywood stars and LGBT+ community members are now speaking out about Carleton’s horrific murder, condemning the senseless killing and paying tribute to the 66-year-old – while warning that her shocking murder is a sign of the anti-LGBT+ sentiment and hate spreading across the US. Murder over a rainbow flag On Friday, 18 August at 5pm officers from the Twin Peaks Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of a person who had been shot at the Mag Pi clothing store. When police arrived on the scene, they saw that Carleton was suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials from the San Bernardino County sheriff’s office said that there was an initial altercation that took place at Carleton’s clothing store over an LGBT+ pride flag that the owner has displayed outside of her store. The suspect made “several disparaging remarks about a rainbow flag that stood outside the store before shooting Carleton,” police said. The suspect then fled the scene and was later located near Torrey Road and Rause Rancho Road, armed with a handgun. Police said in a statement when officials attempted to “contact the suspect a lethal force encounter occurred, and the suspect was pronounced deceased.” The investigation into Carleton’s death is ongoing and police said no further details are being released. Residents are urged to contact the homicide department with any information about the incident. A ‘true ally’ and fashion leader Carleton, 66, also known as “Lauri” was the owner of Mag Pi clothing in California. She started her career in fashion during her teenage years and worked in the family business at Fred Segal Feet in Los Angeles, while attending the Art Centre School of Design, according to the Mag Pi store website. Carleton then began running the “top fashion” show floor in the US at Joseph Magnin Century City. She then joined Kenneth Cole and remained there for over 15 years, where she worked with factories and design teams in Italy and Spain. The designer travelled with her husband across the US, Europe and South America, which fuelled her love for design, fashion, food, fine art and architecture among other things. Her clothing store, Mag Pi, is “all about tackling everyday life with grace and ease and continuing to dream,” the website reads. Carleton’s daughter, Ari, posted a heartfelt tribute on her Instagram, remembering her mother as a “fearless, cool and compassionate” human being and describing her death as a “hate crime.” The caption said: “As most of you know our beautiful mommy was taken from us in a senseless act of violence on Friday August 18th. She was murdered over a pride flag that she proudly hung on her storefront. Make no mistake, this was a hate crime. Her flags had been torn down before and she always responded by putting up a bigger one. Our family is broken. We have a long road ahead of us as we navigate this new reality without our loving matriarch.” The post continued: “We find peace in knowing she passed quickly in a place she cherished, doing what she loved while fiercely defending something she believed in. She was fearless, cool and compassionate – always putting others first. We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that our family has received from loved ones and strangers alike, it has provided hope and light in our darkest days. We will continue to advocate for love, equality and acceptance in everything that we do. Love will always triumph over hate.” ‘This intolerance has to end’ Tributes are now pouring in for the “beloved” mother of nine and business owner who was known to be a supporter and advocate of theLGBT+ community. The death of Carleton has led to outrage across the country, with family, friends and famous figures sharing their grief on social media. Actor George Takei, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that her death was a result of the anti-LGBT+ sentiment coming from the right. “This is the result of the hate they spew. An innocent woman, a gentle and loving soul, has lost her life” he said. “My heart aches for her family in the wake of this horrific murder. Those responsible go beyond the murderer. Every anti-LGBTQ politician, bigoted pundit, and right-wing hate monger has Laura Carleton’s blood on their hands.” Close friend and Hollywood director Paul Feig, whose works include Bridesmaids and The Heat, posted a tribute on Sunday, calling Carleton his “wonderful friend”. The post, captioned with a photo of Carleton and him said: “We are all devastated for her husband Bort and her family and the LGBTQ+ community, for whom Lauri was such a true ally. “This intolerance has to end. Anyone using hateful language against the LGBTQ+ community has to realize their words matter, that their words can inspire violence against innocent loving people. Let’s all keep moving forward with tolerance and love. Let’s not let Lauri’s tragic death be in vain,” he added. The Lake Arrowhead LGBTQ+ community also described Carleton as a "friend and supporter” and said that although she did not identify as LGBTQ+, she spent her time “helping and advocating for everyone in the community.” Sex and the City actress Kristin Davis also posted a tribute and said Carleton was a “strong ally” within the community. Davis’s caption said: “I had the pleasure of meeting Lauri and shopping in her charming store over the summer. I cannot comprehend what has happened and I can only imagine what her family and close friends are going through. “We cannot rest in our work towards love and understanding and equality for every person. It is abundantly clear that divisive senseless hate is the only motive for this hate crime. Lauri was a strong ally, when her Pride flags were stolen she quickly replaced them. To think that she was murdered for her support of our LQBTQ+ family tears my heart into pieces. “I want Lauri to be known as the HERO she was and is. I want her family to know we are thinking of them and for everyone to know that we must continue to stand up for what is right! #lovewins.” Read More Laura Carleton shooting – latest: Travis Ikeguchi named as gunman who killed mother-of-nine over Pride flag Travis Ikeguchi: What we know about the gunman who shot Laura Carleton over Pride flag Jamie Lee Curtis and Paul Feig lead reactions to shooting of California store owner over Pride flag

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Russian forces have launched a "fierce," large-scale attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, intensifying the fighting there, but they have so far been unable to make significant progress, according to Ukrainian officials, analysts and geolocated footage shared on social media.