Erdogan in survival battle as run-off election likely in Turkey

The highly contested 14 May presidential election in Turkey will likely lead to a run-off as neither of the two leading candidates has secured the requisite 50 per cent votes to emerge the winner.

The three-man contest is between current President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AK Party), leading opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu (CHP), and Sinan Ogan (ATA).

With almost all ballots counted, incumbent president Erdogan is leading with 49.42 per cent of the votes while Mr Kilicdaroglu has 44.95 per cent, according to official figures provided by state news agency Anadolu.

Mr Ogan with 5.2 per cent votes could now wear the kingmaker hat; whichever candidate he supports would likely emerge the winner at the 28 May run-off.

Aljazeera reported the now kingmaker as telling German news site Der Spiegel in an interview, he would only lend his support to the opposition Nation’s Alliance if the “HDP is excluded from the political system”, in reference to its successor party, Yesil Sol.

Messrs Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu have said they would accept a run-off and would win it.

The ongoing presidential and parliamentary elections have seen an impressively high voter turnout despite the unpleasantries confronting the Turkish people including the recent earthquake that destroy

ed lives and property.

Over 64 million voters were expected to vote to elect a president and parliament for a five-year term.

Iran’s foreign ministry said the high voter turnout in the Turkey elections is a sign that the rule of democracy has prevailed in the neighbouring Muslim nation.

“We congratulate this victory to the people of Turkey, election organisers, and political leaders and parties, and wish them the best outcome,” Aljazeera quoted spokesman Nasser Kanani as saying in a statement.

President Erdogan is struggling to keep his seat after a 20-year rule.

In July 2018, a month after Erdogan won the presidency, Turkey transitioned from a parliamentary to a presidential system, abolishing the post of prime minister. Presidential and parliamentary elections are held on the same day every five years.

The opposition has promised to return the country to parliamentary democracy if it emerges as the presidential and parliamentary elections winner.

According to AlJazeera’s Farah al-Zaman Shawki, final results are expected to be announced by 1500 local time (12 GMT).

“About 1,500 ballots coming from abroad have not yet been counted.

“So we do not yet know if the Supreme Elections Committee (YSK) will announce another round of elections,” said Shawki.

“Turnout in elections abroad was 51 per cent, which is relatively good although lower than in Turkey,” she added.