ANKARA, Turkey (AFP) -- Voters went to polls across Turkey on Sunday for a referendum on constitutional reforms that provide for the election of the president by popular vote.

Polling stations opened at 07:00 A.M. (0400 GMT) in the east of the country and an hour later in the west. All voting will end at 5:00 pm (1400 GMT).
Some 42.6 million voters are registered to cast votes in the referendum, but observers say, with no public debate on the reform package, turnout will likely be low.
Initial results were not expected until late Sunday.
The major clause of the reform package provides for the president to be elected for up to two five-year mandates by universal suffrage, instead of a single seven-year term by parliament, as is currently the case.
Another sets general elections for every four years instead of the current five.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which drew up the reforms, was expected to easily garner the necessary support in Sunday's vote, thanks to the whopping 47 percent of the vote the party obtained in general elections less than three months ago.
The AKP rushed the reform package through Parliament in May after a harsh army-backed secularist campaign blocked the party from choosing one of its own -- Abdullah Gul, a politician with Islamist roots -- as president.
But snap general elections on July 22 called to resolve the crisis handed the AKP a landslide victory, allowing the party to easily secure Gul's elections the following month.