Narrowing Gap in Turkey's Presidential Election: Erdogan Falls Short of Majority
Date
5/15/2023 4:34:47 AM
(MENAFN) According to state media reports, the gap between Turkey's current president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his pro-Western opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, has narrowed as most of the votes have been counted in the country's presidential election. With over 98 percent of the ballot boxes opened and tallied, Erdogan's initially comfortable lead has fallen to 49.35 percent, which is just below the 50 percent majority needed to avoid a runoff. Meanwhile, Kilicdaroglu has garnered 45 percent of the votes, while Sinan Ogan is a distant third with only 5.2 percent.
It is worth noting that turnout was high in Turkey, with almost 89 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots. In addition, over 50 percent of registered voters who live abroad also participated in the election. While most of the domestic votes have already been counted, the outcome may change depending on how the election body deals with the votes cast for Muharrem Ince, who had withdrawn from the race but still received around 0.5 percent of the votes.
The narrowing of the gap between Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu has come as a surprise to many, as the incumbent president was initially expected to secure a comfortable victory. However, Kilicdaroglu's pro-Western stance and his promises to improve Turkey's relations with the US and Europe seem to have resonated with a significant portion of the electorate. Erdogan, on the other hand, has been criticized for his increasingly authoritarian rule, crackdowns on the media and opposition, and his handling of the economy, which has been struggling in recent years.
The outcome of the election is crucial for Turkey, as it will determine the country's direction for the next five years. If Erdogan fails to secure a majority, a runoff election will be held on June 26th, which could potentially lead to a power shift in the country. As the remaining votes are tallied and the election body deals with outstanding issues, the world will be watching closely to see how Turkey's political landscape unfolds in the coming weeks.
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