ISTANBUL: Turkey held a historic runoff election on Sunday, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan entering as the firm favorite to extend his two-decade-long Islamic-rooted rule until 2028. As the longest-serving leader in the NATO member country, Erdogan defied critics and doubters by securing a comfortable lead against his secular challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the first round on May 14.
Kilicdaroglu formed a powerful coalition that united Erdogan’s disenchanted former allies, secular nationalists, and religious conservatives. Opposition supporters saw this election as a critical opportunity to prevent Turkey from turning into an autocracy under Erdogan, whose consolidation of power has drawn comparisons to the Ottoman sultans.
“I invite all my citizens to cast their ballot in order to get rid of this authoritarian regime and bring true freedom and democracy to this country,” Kilicdaroglu stated after casting his ballot in Turkey’s first presidential runoff.
Despite facing one of the world’s worst cost-of-living crises and numerous opinion polls predicting his defeat, Erdogan maintained a five-point lead in the first round. The 69-year-old president appeared tired but relaxed as he voted alongside his wife, Emine, in a conservative district of Istanbul. Urging citizens not to be complacent, Erdogan asked them to turn out and vote.
Erdogan’s Opposition Candidate Changes Strategy
The opposition candidate, Kilicdaroglu, transformed his campaign strategy after the first round. He shifted towards a right-wing approach, focusing on the immediate expulsion of migrants and counterterrorism efforts to appeal to nationalists, who emerged as winners in the parallel parliamentary elections. This shift was seen as an attempt to garner support from nationalists, aligning with the principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and Kilicdaroglu’s secular CHP party.
However, Kilicdaroglu’s informal alliance with a pro-Kurdish party and his courtship of Turkey’s hard right left him vulnerable to accusations of collaboration with “terrorists.” Furthermore, his efforts were hindered by the endorsement Erdogan received from an ultra-nationalist who finished third in the initial round.
Some opposition supporters expressed a sense of defeat after voting, acknowledging that the outcome seemed more predictable this time. Despite this, they still cast their ballots.
Erdogan’s appeal lies among the poorer and more rural sections of Turkey’s society, who appreciate his emphasis on religious freedoms and the modernization of previously neglected cities in the Anatolian heartland. However, his crackdowns on dissent and assertive foreign policy have raised concerns among Western nations.
Whoever wins the election will face immediate challenges, particularly the unraveling economy. Erdogan’s unorthodox approach to economic policies, including slashing interest rates, has caused Turkey’s currency to plummet, leading to high inflation. The country has expended significant funds to support the lira ahead of the election, but experts warn that a reckoning for Turkey’s economy may be imminent.
