Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu will both be courting support from Sinan Ogan of the right-wing ATA Alliance after the relative newcomer’s surprisingly strong showing in Sunday’s vote, analyst Soner Cagaptay has told Al Jazeera…..CONTINUE READING...CONTINUE READING
“He got enough votes to be a spoiler and deny either of the candidates a 50 percent outright victory, likely forcing the election into a run-off,” said Cagaptay, who leads the Turkey Research Program at the Washington Institute in Washington DC.
Cagaptay said both men would be trying to court Ogan, but it was the more conservative Erdogan who probably had the upper hand.
The Turkish president’s supporters have been holding a boisterous rally outside the AK party’s headquarters in Ankara as they await results.
They’ve been waving Turkish flags and setting off flares, and the mood seems celebratory.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu has promised that if the presidential election goes to a run-off on May 28, he will win.
“If our nation says second round, we will absolutely win the second round,” he told reporters.
“This will for change in society is higher than 50 percent.”
President Erdogan has said that he is far ahead of Kilicdaroglu in the presidential election, although he is not sure of his victory in the first round.
Erdogan, speaking at his party’s headquarters in Ankara, said he was 2.6 million votes ahead of the main opposition candidate.
“Throughout our political life, without exception, we have always respected the decision of the national will. We respect it in this election as well, and we will respect it in the next elections,” he said.
Erdogan also said he expected this number to rise with official results, adding: “We believe we will win in first round….CONTINUE READING
