Turkey's Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hit by protests and a graft scandal, voiced confidence as he voted in bellwether local elections Sunday, predicting "the people will tell the truth today".
Erdogan faces the worst crisis of his 11-year rule with the twin challenges of mass street protests last June and a wave of online leaks implicating his allies in wide-ranging corruption.
"Despite all the undesired (opposition) statements and speeches at rallies until now, our people will tell the truth today," said Erdogan, head of the Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party.
"What the people say is what it is," said the 60-year-old former Istanbul mayor after casting his vote in a district on the Asian side of the megacity divided by the Bosphorus strait.
"The people's decision should be respected."
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the secular main opposition party, said that "our democracy must be strengthened and cleansed".
"We will build a pleasant democracy," said the leader of the Republican People's Party, voting in a district on the city's European side. "I trust my nation."
President Abdullah Gul, who has a more moderate image than sometimes bellicose Erdogan, said that "we will see how the people's will plays out", urging everyone to accept the outcome "with maturity and respect".
"Our nation is strong and everybody should have faith in that," he said.
"All challenges will be tackled within the law, and Turkey will proceed in a strong way."
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