Turkish lawmakers on Thursday elected Turkey's last Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım to be the first speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly under new government system.

Axar.az informs citing AA.

The voting process began at 2.28 p.m. local time (1128 GMT) at the Turkish Parliament. Former parliament speaker Ismail Kahraman is watching the election process.

In the first round, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) candidate Binali Yıldırım received 331 votes in the speaker election in 600-seat Parliament, with main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) Erdoğan Toprak receiving 134 votes, followed by opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) candidate Meral Danis Beştaş with 65 votes, opposition Good Party's (IP) Hayrettin Nuhoğlu with 43 votes and Felicity Party's (SP) Cihangir Islam with four votes. Four votes were deemed invalid.

In the second round, Yıldırım received 336 votes and Toprak received 131 votes.

Yıldırım won the third round with 335 votes, while 301 were needed to secure the post.

In accordance with the Turkish Constitution, the election of the speaker is being conducted via secret ballot.

Yıldırım has served as prime minister until earlier this week, when the post was abolished under constitutional changes. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has announced that it will support the AK Party candidate.

CHP has nominated Toprak, a onetime youth and sports minister and a lawmaker from the Istanbul province, for the post of parliament speaker.

IYI Party candidate Nuhoğlu, born in 1953, is also a lawmaker from Istanbul.

HDP candidate Beştaş, born in 1967, is a lawmaker from the southeastern Siirt province.

SP candidate Islam is a lawmaker from Istanbul.

All rounds of the voting will be successively held. In the first two rounds of voting, at least 401 out of 600 deputies' votes are needed to win. In a third round of voting, a minimum of 301 votes is needed. If a fourth round is necessary, the candidate with the largest number of votes is elected.

The AK Party holds 290 seats in parliament, while the CHP has 144 seats, the HDP has 67 seats, the MHP has 49, the IP has 42, the Felicity Party (SP) has two and the Democrat Party (DP) and the Grand Unity Party (BBP) have one each.