Elections in Turkey: Erdogan pulled ahead
His main rival – Kemal Kılıçdaroglu – is gaining 45%.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan leads the presidential elections in Turkey after counting 98% of the votes, writes BBC Russian Service.
After counting 98.38% of the ballots, Erdogan wins 49.34% of the vote, but not the 50% needed to win in the first round, the newspaper notes. At the same time, his main rival is Kemal Kılıçdaroglu, a candidate from the six-party opposition National Alliance, with 45%.
In response, Erdogan said that he was confident in his victory in the first round, but would not mind holding a second round if the people decided so.
His opponent, general opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, said he was confident of winning in the second round. “If a second round is announced, we will definitely win. The will to change in society is above 50 percent,” he said.
The second round was predicted by almost all sociological polls, but many gave the first place in the race to Kılıçdaroğlu rather than Erdoğan. The third candidate in the elections, Sinan Ogan, promised to soon decide which of the rivals to support in the second round.
Elections in Turkey – the main thing
On May 14, 2023, presidential and parliamentary elections were held in Turkey. They are called historical, because for the first time in 20 years of Erdogan’s rule, opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has a chance to succeed.
On the eve of the vote, Erdogan became the subject of scandals several times. For example, the Turkish opposition accused him of unwillingness to transfer power peacefully in the event of a loss, claiming Russian intervention.
In addition, Erdogan handed out money to children as a gift on election day, which, according to observers, is still not a bribe, since children do not have the right to vote in elections.
In parallel, rumors spread about the deterioration of Erdogan’s health.