Neither the president nor his opponent Kilicdaroglu earned more than 50% of the vote in a closely contested national election.
According to election officials quoted by news agency AFP on Monday, Turkey’s presidential election will be determined in a runoff as incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan surged ahead of his major rival but fell short of an outright victory that would extend his power into a third decade. Whether the strategically situated NATO nation remains in the president’s control or can follow the ‘more democratic’ path promised by his biggest competitor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, will be decided by the second-round vote on May 28.
Erdogan has been in power for 20 years, but polls conducted by the official media indicate that his time in power may be coming to an end as the electoral map is being redrew in reaction to the cost of living crisis and criticism of the government’s handling of the February earthquake.
Preliminary Results Put Erdogan Ahead in Turkish Election Runoff
Erdogan is now in an excellent position to win in the second round since his retreat was less spectacular than anticipated and because his alliance still holds control of the legislature. Preliminary results show Erdogan with 49.51% of the vote, Kilicdaroglu with 44.88%, and Sinan Ogan with 5.17%, according to Ahmet Yener, the chairman of the Supreme Electoral Board, AFP reported.
In the first round of the 2018 presidential election, Erdogan received 52.6% of the vote, winning handily.
Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey as prime minister or president since 2003, hailed Sunday’s vote a win for both himself and the nation even as it became apparent that a runoff was unavoidable.
Erdogan, who has held power in Turkey as prime minister or president since 2003, celebrated Sunday’s vote as a victory for both himself and the nation, despite the inevitability of a runoff.
He expressed his commitment to honouring the nation’s decision.
Kilicdaroglu Upbeat: Promises Victorious Second Round and Democratic Era
Kilicdaroglu expressed optimism regarding his chances of winning.
“We will undoubtedly emerge victorious in the second round… and usher in an era of democracy,” predicted Kilicdaroglu, aged 74, asserting that Erdogan had lost the trust of a nation that now demanded change. Although Kilicdaroglu and his party had previously faced defeat in past presidential and parliamentary elections since assuming leadership in 2010, their support has grown in this election.
As a result of the inconsistency, trading was temporarily suspended on Monday after the main Turkish stock exchange, BIST-100, fell more than 6% at the opening of business. After trading restarted, shares did, however, modestly rebound, and the index ended the afternoon 2.5% lower than it had ended Friday.
Kilicdaroglu’s Pledge: Economy Fix and Democratic Progress
The biggest opposition party, which is pro-secular and was founded by the man who gave Turkey its modern identity, is led by Kilicdaroglu. During his campaign, he pledged to fix the economy, which had been severely harmed by high inflation and currency devaluation, as well as to stop the suppression of free speech and other democratic backsliding.
Independent experts estimate inflation to be substantially greater than the most recent official numbers, which put it at roughly 44% after peaking at nearly 86%.
It seemed those factors didn’t shake up the electorate as much as many anticipated as the results came in. The ruling party received a resounding majority of the vote in Turkey’s conservative heartland, with Kilicdaroglu’s main opposition gaining the majority of the coastal regions in the west and south.
