Opposition alleges irregularities in Turkey's run-off elections

The Turkish opposition on Sunday denounced several irregularities during the second and decisive round of the presidential elections, including physical attacks on election observers in southeastern Turkey.

The social democratic CHP, the party of opposition candidate Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, spoke of numerous cases of voting in the names of people who were not present on the ballot papers, the registration of deceased people as voters and the handing out of pre-stamped ballot papers.

CHP parliamentary group deputy chairman Ozgür Ozel said a former Istanbul MP and several of the party's ballot box observers were beaten in Sanliurfa for reporting irregularities.

According to Özel on Twitter, the incident took place in the village of Karaali in Sanliurfa, where an insufficient number of gendarmes were deployed.

One of the assaulted observers told Halk TV that she was attempted to be lynched in the village, where "in many places people who oppose irregularities are threatened and beaten".

Ahmet Davutoglu, former prime minister of the ruling AKP party and now an opposition figure, also protested the beatings.

In a message on social media he claimed that he is receiving reports of people voting who are not included in the registers.

The election pits the incumbent president, the Islamist Recep Tayyip Erdogan, against the social-democratic opposition candidate Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.

Erdogan is the overwhelming favourite, having won 49.5 % of the vote in the first round a fortnight ago, almost five points more than his rival.

Polling stations close at 17.00 local time (14.00 GMT) and official results are expected in the next few hours.