Confusion as Turkey clocks defy time-change delay

Confused Turks are asking "what's the time?" after automatic clocks defied a government decision to defer a seasonal hour's change in the time.

Along with other countries, Turkey had been due to "fall back" an hour on Saturday at the end of summertime daylight saving.

The Turkish government however decided to postpone the change until after upcoming polls.

But some clocks have changed the time regardless - causing bewilderment.

The hashtag #saatkac - or "what's the time?" - is now trending in Turkey as Twitter users express confusion.

Along with countries in the Eastern European Time (EET) zone such as Bulgaria, Lithuania and Ukraine, and countries elsewhere, Turkey had been expected to add an hour to Sunday at the end of daylight saving time.

According to Turkish authorities, the delay will mean it is lighter when voters go to the polls on 1 November. The time change will then finally go ahead at 04:00 on 8 November.

Turkey has postponed time changes before, citing important national events.

But the increasing prevalence of electronic timekeepers such as computers and smartphones means that for many the time changed regardless of the directive.

Many Turkish residents took to social media to express their frustration - some linking the directive directly to the paternalistic figure of Turkey's President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"The hour hasn't changed in Turkey, like it usually does at this time of year," one British expat, who did not want to be named, said on Facebook.

"We're on special 'Erdogan time' as he decided not to implement daylight savings until after the election. Unfortunately, while he CAN hold back time, he CAN'T hold back automatic clocks which seem to have gone ahead and changed the hour regardless. Hence we're all very confused."

"For the next two weeks #Turkey is on EEST... Erdogan Engineered Standard Time," said Twitter user @aysekarahasan.

Smartphone manufacturers suggest users override the automatic reset in their device by turning it off in the settings.