2023-05-14 22:57:41
OZAN KOSE / AFP
Towards a second round for Erdogan, put on waivers for the first time
TURKEY – An unprecedented second round seems to be looming this Sunday evening May 14 in Turkey, depending on the results of the counting of the presidential election, which gives President Recep Tayyip Erdogan neck and neck with his opponent Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.
The 69-year-old head of state, in power for 20 years, lost the lead credited to him by the official media over his social-democratic rival in the evening, dropping below 50%, according to the state agency Anadolu. .
These results might pave the way for a second round on May 28. This would be a first for the Turkish Republic, centenary this year. Erdogan, who considers himself “in the lead”, says he will respect the eventual ballot and “the next election”. Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, himself, promised Monday the victory of his camp « au second tour » of the ballot, which now seems proven.
Erdogan « ready to respect » a second round
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he was “clearly in mind” of the presidential election, but says he is ready to “respect” a second round if necessary. “Even if the results are not yet published, we are clearly in the lead” he launched in front of a tide of supporters gathered in the middle of the night (02:30 local time, 23:30 GMT) in Ankara: “We respect this election and we will respect the next election” he assured.
“We don’t know yet if the election is over with this first round but if the people take us to the second round, we will respect it”.
It is the first time in twenty years, since he has been in power in Turkey, that the head of state would be forced into a second round, scheduled for May 28, once morest his social democrat opponent Kemal Kiliçdaroglu. The latter led an unprecedented coalition of six opposition parties.
“The people have chosen stability”, assure Erdogan
“No matter the result, 27 million people preferred to vote for us”he continued as the counting operations continued.
“I think we will finish this election with more than 50%” votes, he insisted. “The people have chosen stability and security in this presidential election”.
Erdogan also claimed the ” majority “ of the 600 seats in Parliament for the National Alliance he formed between his party, the AKP and small nationalist and Islamist parties.
Kemal Kiliçdaroglu promises victory in the second round
Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, promised victory for his camp on Monday « au second tour » of the ballot, which now seems proven. “If our nation asks for a second round, we gladly accept it. And we will absolutely win this second round.he launched in the middle of the night, from Ankara, surrounded by representatives of the six parties of his coalition.
President Recep Tayyip “Erdogan might not achieve the result he expected despite all the insults” uttered once morest his adversary, Kiliçdaroglu continued.
“The need for change in society is greater than (the figure of) 50%; we absolutely have to win and install democracy in this country”he said without mentioning the legislative elections which were taking place simultaneously.
battle of numbers
“We are going to have 15 difficult days ahead of us in the event of a second round”, warned Sinon Ogan, dissident of the nationalist party MHPen refusing to say which candidate he would support. To be declared the winner, one of the two leading candidates must obtain a majority of 50% of the votes plus one.
Pending the final results, the two sides fought a battle of figures, enjoining their respective observers to remain at the counting locations. ” until the end “. “We are in the lead”said Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
One of his right-hand men, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, called “citizens to disregard the figures given by Anadolu”.
A record participation rate
In Istanbul, the megalopolis of 16 million inhabitants, the 20% of the ballots that remained to be counted might help Kiliçdaroglu to reduce the gap.
In Diyarbakir, the large city with a Kurdish majority in the south-east of the country, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu obtained more than 71% of the votes on four-fifths of the ballots counted, according to Anadolu.
All day, the ballot boxes were filled with large mustard-colored envelopes deposited by voters who sometimes waited for several hours in front of the schools transformed into polling stations. The participation rate, it seems close to 90%, has not been officially communicated.
Waiver, a setback for Erdogan
At stake: the choice of the thirteenth president of the Turkish Republic, who is celebrating his first century, and the future of the head of state who hopes to remain in power following this election that the polls had predicted tight.
The winner must obtain a majority of 50% of the votes plus one, under penalty of a second round on May 28 – the symbolic anniversary date of the greatest popular protest movement which shook power in 2003.
The 64 million voters also had to choose the 600 deputies who will sit in the unicameral parliament in Ankara. In 2018, during the last presidential election, the head of state won in the first round with more than 52.5% of the vote. A waiver would already be a setback for him.
“Do not divide Turkey”
Voters are mainly divided between a vote in favor of the Islamo-conservative President Erdogan, 69, and for Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, at the head of the CHP, the secular party of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey.
“I say + continue + with Erdogan”implores on the contrary Nurcan Soyer, scarf on the head, in front of the polling station of Erdogan.
In the bruised city of Antakya, the ancient Antioch (south) ruined by the earthquake, Mehmet Topaloglu arrived among the first: “We need change, that’s enough”. The wounds remain alive three months following the tragedy.
Kiliçdaroglu leads a united front of six parties from the nationalist right to the liberal center left. He also received the support of the pro-Kurdish HDP party, the third political force in the country.
Erdogan is appearing this time before a country worn down by an economic crisis, with a currency devalued by half in two years and inflation that exceeded 85% in the fall.
Facing him, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu played the appeasement card, promising the restoration of the rule of law and respect for institutions, abused over the past 10 years by Erdogan’s autocratic drift.
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