Before the presidential election in Turkey, the cards will be reshuffled again. Erdogan challenger Muharrem Ince announced that he is out. Who benefits from his withdrawal?
Shortly before the presidential elections in Turkey, one of the three challengers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his withdrawal. This further intensifies the already narrow choice of direction between Erdogan and his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Muharrem Ince, the losing 2018 presidential candidate, withdrew his candidacy. A new president and parliament will be elected in Turkey on Sunday.
In the past few days, allegations of corruption against Ince have been raised and compromising images have surfaced. Whether these are authentic is completely unclear. The 59-year-old said he didn’t want the larger opposition bloc behind Kilicdaroglu to blame him for his possible defeat.
Incumbent Erdogan reacted with regret to his opponent’s departure: “I’m really sorry”. According to polls, Ince had no chance of winning the presidency. However, Erdogan’s critics had feared that Ince’s participation could make opposition leader Kilicdaroglu’s victory less likely.
Runoff could come
According to the Metropoll survey institute, Ince had 1.2 percent of the votes, Erdogan 44 percent and his challenger Kilicdaroglu 46 percent. The third challenger, Sinan Ogan, was polled at 2.6 percent. If none of the candidates can unite more than 50 percent of the votes in the first round, on 28.5. a runoff required.
Ince has not yet made a recommendation for another candidate. Ogan, candidate of an alliance of ultranationalist parties, tweeted that this is just the beginning. He dispelled assumptions that he could also be eliminated.
Ince’s name will still appear on Sunday’s ballot papers. He was also listed as a candidate in the elections abroad, most of which were completed on Tuesday.
Erdogan recently tried to convince voters with campaign promises. He explained that the lowest salary in the public sector would rise to the equivalent of 1,030 euros in July and thus double it – if he was re-elected. Kilicdaroglu had previously made a similar promise.
The elections are accompanied by several crises. The national currency, the lira, has lost more than 52 percent of its value against the euro in the past two years, and inflation in the country is around 44 percent. The southeast of the country is also struggling with the devastating consequences of the earthquakes in early February.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
