Migration and economy determined the election campaign before the run-off election in Turkey. The leader of the opposition in particular attracted attention with his anti-refugee rhetoric. But this time he is not the favorite.
In the race for the presidency in Turkey, incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan and challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu will face off in a run-off election on Sunday. The 69-year-old Erdogan is considered the favorite. He had received the most votes in the first round two weeks ago, but just missed the necessary absolute majority.
The result of the first ballot surprised many: Polls had predicted a runoff, but 74-year-old Kilicdaroglu was the favourite. There are around 2.5 million votes between Erdogan and his opponent, which the opposition now wants to catch up with.
Around 61 million people are called to vote in Turkey. Eligible voters in Germany had already voted. Around 1.5 million people with a Turkish passport were called to vote there. As in 2018, those who exercised their right to vote in Germany voted for Erdogan in the majority.
Erdogan has more power than ever before
The choice is indicative. Erdogan has been in power for 20 years. Since the introduction of a presidential system in 2018, he has more power than ever before. Critics fear that the country, with a population of around 85 million, could slide completely into autocracy if he wins again. Kilicdaroglu represents an alliance of six parties from different camps and promises to democratize the country. Internationally, the vote in the NATO country is being closely observed.
The first round of voting was considered fundamentally free but unfair. International election observers criticized the government’s media dominance and the lack of transparency in voting. The electoral authority YSK is also considered politicized.
The vote falls on a date that is symbolic for the opposition: Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of the anti-government Gezi protests. The demonstrations in spring 2013 were initially directed against the development of Istanbul’s central Gezi Park. They expanded into nationwide demonstrations against the increasingly authoritarian policies of Erdogan, who was still prime minister at the time. This brutally suppressed the largely peaceful protests.
Kilicdaroglu sharpened his tone on the issue of migration
The dominant topic before the second round was migration. Both Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu secured the support of right-wing politicians. Kilicdaroglu in particular made the repatriation of refugees to Syria his main campaign issue and clearly sharpened his tone compared to the first round.
Turkey is home to around 3.4 million refugees from Syria alone. For Europe, it plays a major role in migration policy. Another topic in the election campaign was the poor economic situation with massive inflation. Erdogan repeatedly insulted the opposition as “terrorists”.
In parliament, Erdogan’s government alliance was able to secure an absolute majority again in the elections two weeks ago. Should Kilicdaroglu win on Sunday, he would not be able to single-handedly achieve the constitutional amendments needed to abolish the presidential system.
Polling stations in Turkey open at 7:00 a.m. (CEST) and close at 4:00 p.m. (CEST). The first partial results, which initially have little significance, are expected in the evening.
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.
