Türkiye's highly anticipated presidential election appears to be heading towards a runoff, as both incumbent President Tayyip Erdogan and opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu fall short of the required 50 per cent threshold for an outright victory.
Türkiye's most consequential election in a century may see the ousting of incumbent and controversial President Tayyip Erdogan after an imperious 20-year rule.Türkiye appeared headed for a runoff presidential election with the parties of Tayyip Erdogan and opposition rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu each claiming the lead but sources in both camps admitting they may not clear the 50 per cent threshold to win outright.
A senior official from the opposition alliance, asking not to be named, said "it seems there will be no winner in the first round. But, our data indicates Kilicdaroglu will lead." The presidential vote will decide not only who leads Türkiye, a NATO-member country of 85 million, but also how it is governed, where its economy is headed amid a deep cost of living crisis, and the shape of its foreign policy.
Mr Kilicdaroglu has pledged to set TürkiyeTurkiye on a new course by reviving democracy after years of state repression, returning to orthodox economic policies, empowering institutions that lost autonomy under Mr Erdogan's tight grasp and rebuilding frail ties with the West. "I chose democracy and I hope that my country chooses democracy," said Mr Kalkan, a retired health sector worker.
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