ANKARA: The Turkish presidential election took place on Sunday, and with 60.36% of the votes counted, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has taken an early lead, securing 37.91% of the votes. Erdogan’s main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), currently stands at 28.89% of the votes. The ruling People’s Alliance, comprising the AKP and several smaller parties, currently holds just over 50% of the vote share. Meanwhile, the CHP’s Nation alliance has secured 40% of the votes.
Despite state media reporting early results in favor of Erdogan, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu asserted that he is leading in the presidential race. Istanbul’s opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, expressed concerns over potential result manipulation and urged the public not to rely on early reports shared by the state-owned Anadolu Agency.
Ali Ihsan Yavuz, the vice-chairman of Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP, has said that Erdogan’s party is “clearly ahead with a gap” in the polls. “There is no point in blaming institutions in a panicked manner,” Yavuz said, referring to the opposition criticism targeting the state-run Anadolu Agency.
The most recent results from Anadolu, broadcast by Turkish media, show Erdogan in the lead with 51.84% of the votes, while Kilicdaroglu follows with 42.53%, with 59.44% of the ballot boxes counted.
In a news conference, Mayor Imamoglu confidently stated, “We can say this comfortably: Kemal Kilicdaroglu will be announced as the thirteenth president of our country today.”
The outcome of these elections is closely watched in Western capitals, the Middle East, NATO, and Moscow. Erdogan’s tenure has transformed Turkey into a global player, characterized by ambitious projects such as infrastructure development, advanced healthcare facilities, and a sought-after military industry.
Turkey elections voting
Turkish voting stations have officially closed following a knife-edge election that holds the potential to end President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s two-decade rule and redirect the mostly Muslim nation towards a more secular course. After nine hours of voting, polling stations closed at 5 p.m. (1400 UTC), marking a significant moment in the country’s history.
Opinion polls leading up to the election have indicated that Erdogan’s main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who heads a six-party alliance, holds a slight lead. Two polls conducted on Friday showed Kilicdaroglu surpassing the crucial 50% threshold required for an outright victory. If neither candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, a runoff will be held on May 28, intensifying the suspense surrounding the election.
The campaign leading up to Sunday’s pivotal elections has been marked by deep divisions among the Turkish population. As voters cast their ballots, the contrasting sentiments were evident in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city, where Erdogan himself served as mayor from 1994 to 1998.
As the nation awaits the election outcome, the results hold immense significance, potentially reshaping Turkey’s political landscape and its approach to governance, secularism, and economic stability amid a cost of living crisis and foreign policy. The world watches closely as Turkey’s future hangs in the balance, awaiting the announcement of the election results.
