Turkey election goes into runoff; President Erdogan, rival Kilicdaroglu say they're ready

Turkey’s presidential election will be decided in a runoff, election officials said on Monday (May 15). This comes aday after incumbent PresidentRecep Tayyip Erdogan released a statement saying he was prepared for a runoff election, following one of Turkey's most important elections in modern history.

Candidates are ready

“We don’t know yet whether the election will be over in the first round, but if people take us to a second round, we will respect that too," Erdogan told his supporters, adding that his ruling conservative alliance had won a “majority" in parliament.

While Erdogan took a conservative position, his opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu rattled the cage once again and said the president had not received the result he was expecting.

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"Despite all his smear campaigns and insults, Erdogan did not get the result he expected. Nobody should get excited about a fait accompli," said Kilicdaroglu.

"Elections are not won on the balcony (referring to Erdogan's speech). Election data still continues to come. If our nation decides on a runoff, with our pleasure. We will definitely win this election in the second round. Everyone will see it."

Sinan Ogan, the third presidential candidate who has allied with Erdogan, took to Twitter late on Sunday to cast aspersions over the overseas vote-counting process.

"We have heard that some manipulations were carried out in the overseas vote counting processes. Vote counting is not done in a healthy environment. I warn the YSK. Take the necessary measures immediately and ensure that the vote counting processes are carried out quickly," Ogan tweeted.

"In addition, we will not allow a fait accompli with a manipulation of foreign votes. Do not stress the environment. This is up to the second round."

Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas, who is running for the vice-president post as a candidate for themain opposition Nation Alliance bloc, stated that Anadolu’s results were unreliable. He said the opposition data showedKilicdaroglu as being ahead of Erdogan.

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Early votes from heavily pro-government districts appeared to be giving Erdogan the lead, but as more ballots were counted, his lead appeared to be shrinking.

May 28 runoff election

Ankara isheaded for a May 28 runoff election after neither Erdogan nor Kilicdaroglu had managed to clearthe 50 per centthreshold required to avoid a second round.Turkey’s High Election Board announced the unofficial results on Monday afternoon local time and hours later the official announcement was made by its headAhmet Yener saying that thecampaigning for the runoff has opened.

With almost 97 per cent of ballot boxes counted, Erdogan led with 49.39 per centof votes and Kilicdaroglu had 44.92 per cent, according to a Reuters report which quoted state-owned news agency Anadolu as saying. Meanwhile, Turkey's High Election Board gave Erdogan 49.49 per cent with 91.93 per centof ballot boxes counted.

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This year'selection largely centredaround the economy, civil rights and the devastating February earthquake that left more than 50,000 dead. Thus, Erdogan not receiving outright victory is being seen as a verdict against his highly authoritarian tendencies.Under his rule, Turkey has emerged as one of the most rigid and financially frail countries in the region.

69-year-old Erdoganhas been at the centre of power in Turkey as either prime minister or president since 2003. In the run-up to the election, opinion surveys had indicated the increasingly authoritarian leader narrowly trailed his challenger.

Biden looks forward to working with whoever wins election

The White House, on Monday, said that United States PresidentJoe Biden is "looking forward to working with whoever"wins Turkey'sknife-edge election as the NATO ally holds peaceful elections.

"We congratulate the Turkish people for expressing their desires at the ballot box in a peaceful way," saidNational Security Council spokesman John Kirby, as quoted by AFP.

(With inputs from agencies)

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