Election thriller in Turkey: President Erdogan is doing better than many expected, but will probably have to face a runoff election. Now it all depends on one person.
In the presidential election in Turkey, incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan is ahead after counting almost all the votes cast in the country – but will probably have to face a runoff. According to the state news agency Anadolu, Erdogan received 49.40 percent and only just missed the absolute majority, as the head of the authority Ahmet Yener said on Monday. 99 percent of the domestic ballot boxes and 84 percent of those from abroad have so far been counted.
According to the authority, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu received 44.96 percent. The candidate of an ultra-nationalist party alliance, Sinan Ogan, comes to 5.3 percent. It was initially unclear when the preliminary final result was to be expected.
If none of the candidates get more than 50 percent of the votes, there will be a runoff on May 28th. In that case, voters with a Turkish passport in Germany and other countries would be able to cast their votes between May 20 and 24.
Will the outsider become the kingmaker?
Outsider Ogan could then become the kingmaker. How his supporters vote in the runoff could have a decisive impact on the result. Ogan wanted to explore how to proceed with his followers.
The electoral authority did not initially announce the result of the parliamentary election. However, it became apparent that Erdogan’s government alliance was able to defend its majority. Since the introduction of a presidential system in 2018, the president has had far-reaching powers, but the parliament with its 600 MPs has been weakened.
The election was seen as indicative. It is feared that the NATO country could become even more autocratic for another five years under Erdogan. Kilicdaroglu ran as a candidate for a broad coalition of six parties. He promises a return to a parliamentary system, democracy and the rule of law. The developments in Turkey were also closely observed internationally because of their importance for conflicts in the region such as the Syrian war and for the relationship with the EU and Germany.
Pro-Kurdish opposition party HDP disappointed
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Bundestag, Michael Roth (SPD), said the outcome of the election was sobering “for all those who want a democratic and constitutional Turkey”. He expects that Erdogan will continue to campaign with all his might in the event of a runoff, Roth said on Monday on ZDF’s “Morgenmagazin”.
The pro-Kurdish opposition party HDP, which supports Kilicdaroglu in the presidential election, was disappointed. The final results have not yet been determined, “but it is perfectly clear that we are behind our goals,” said co-party leader Mithat Sancar. He also complained about repressions against his party during the election campaign. The counting of votes at night was sometimes chaotic. The opposition had accused the ruling party of beautifying Erdogan’s values.
Erdogan (69) was in a good mood in front of cheering supporters in Ankara on Monday night and started a song. The 74-year-old Kilicdaroglu appeared in front of the press that night together with the party leaders of his six-party alliance. “Despite his defamation and insults, Erdogan did not achieve the result he expected,” he said. On Monday, the two opponents initially had no appointments.
The election campaign was considered unfair, also because of the government’s superior media power. Erdogan had sharply attacked the opposition and described his opponent as a “drunkard” and “terrorist”. The opposition countered with a positive campaign.
A total of around 64 million people were asked to vote, around 3.4 million of them abroad.
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.
