Turkey’s opposition fragments ahead of March local elections

[Anthea]

As of 10:40 pm, with 85.82% of the votes counted, the turnout of the presidential race shows Kilicdaroglu lagging behind Erdogan by 6% with 44.06%. Where Erdogan has the absolute majority of voters of the counted votes so far with 50,13% of the votes.

At this rate, Erdogan is projected to win the presidential race without needing a second round of elections.

[Anthea]

Turkey's other opposition parties claim victory

The political allies of opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu have taken to social media to call on their supporters “not to lose hope”.

Pro-Kurdish HDP’s representative in the Supreme Election Council, Mehmet Rustu Tiryaki, has said: "The president will change. AA [the Anadolu Agency] is working like a propaganda machine for the AKP [Erdogan's party]."

The head of the Workers' Party, Erkan Bas, has also said Kilicdaroglu could still win in the first round, and called on supporters to keep monitoring the ballot boxes.

Temel Karamollaoglu, the head of the religious Felicity Party who is in an alliance with the CHP, said: "Change is coming soon."

The head of the Good Party, one of the biggest parties in the opposition alliance, Meral Aksener, posted on Twitter: "We are here until sunrise, we are winning."

[Anthea]

We are hearing more from President Erdogan.

He calls on AK Party officials to keep monitoring the counting of the rest of the votes.

"We don't know if the elections are over in the first round. If our nation choses to go to a second round, we will respect that too. But we believe that we will finish this round with more than 50% of the votes, there are still votes to count."

He also thanked his voters for giving a majority to the People's Alliance in the parliament.

The alliance includes his AKP, the ultra-nationalist MHP along with nationalist and Islamist parties.

[Anthea]

Erdogan ahead with 49.49%

Turkey’s Supreme Election Council head Ahmet Yener is in front of the cameras again

He says that more than 91.93% of the ballot boxes are open.

Based on these results, Erdogan is ahead with 49.49% of the votes, while Kilicdaroglu follows with 44.79% of the votes.

When asked if he could officially say if there is going to be a second round, he said "The counting is continuing."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-65475445

[Anthea]

Instructions to topple Erdogan

On the eve of critical elections, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his supporters that US President Joe Biden has given instructions to topple him

“Biden gave the instructions saying ‘we have to topple Erdogan.’ I know this. All my people know this. Tomorrow the ballots will give Biden an answer as well,” Erdogan said during an election rally in Istanbul.

Turkey will go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president and parliament to lead the country at the dawn of the second century of the republic. It is the country’s most crucial vote in years as the opposition looks to end two decades of Erdogan’s rule.

In a 2020 interview with the New York Times, Biden encouraged Turkey’s opposition to defeat Erdogan at the ballot box.

At the rally, Erdogan also criticized his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu who had accused Russia of being behind fabricated videos and fake content online that have affected the race. The Kremlin denied the charge.

Erdogan said Russia is a crucial ally in agriculture, defence, and tourism sectors.

Despite NATO member Turkey’s close ties with Moscow, it has sold weapons and arms including drones to Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Turkey has not joined its NATO allies in imposing sanctions on Russia. Erdogan lauded this and claimed that Kilicdaroglu has said they will impose sanctions on Moscow. There is no public record of Kilicdaroglu saying this.

Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections will take place on Sunday. Erdogan faces his toughest challenge as his popularity has slumped amid an economic crisis, the soaring cost of living and inflation, and the aftermath of February’s devastating earthquake.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... /130520231

I would not be surprised if the US was attempting to remove Erdogan, especially as he has been trying to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine

[Anthea]

Ogan to decide who to support

The third candidate of the presidential election, Sinan Ogan, who garnered around 5% of the votes according to both Turkish news agencies, has said his bid for the presidency changed the outcome of the vote

It’s not official yet but echoing Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kemal Kilicdaroglu's statements earlier, Ogan said a second round was likely to be held. If that becomes official, Ogan won’t be in the running for it - and his decision on who he will ask his supporters to back might make a big difference.

He says he will decide on this in a few days' time: “I will speak to the leaders in my alliance, I will go and ask my voters in the coming couple of days. And then we will make a decision and perform our duty in the next 14 days.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-65475445

[Anthea]

Erdogan confident in winning

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he feels confident in emerging victorious in the next round of presidential elections after falling less than half of a percent short as counting was finalized on Monday

Erdogan said on Twitter, "The 14 May elections, one of the elections with the highest participation in our history, took place in a festive atmosphere befitting our democracy."

Although the President was unable to secure the win in the first round, marking the country's first-ever run-off which Turkey's Supreme Elections Council scheduled for May 28, Erdogan believed that the election marked a victory for "Turkish democracy and the Turkish Nation."

The leader of the Justice and Development Party pointed to the 27 million votes he received saying that the Turkish people showed "great favor" towards his political party, adding that they "gave the majority in the Turkish Grand National Assembly to the People's Alliance, confirming that they trust us and our Alliance."

Erdogan believed that he "will emerge victorious from the 28 May election by increasing" the number of votes he received in the first round.

The Turkish Presidential election is heading to a second round as neither #Erdogan nor #Kilicdaroglu crossed the electoral threshold of 50%+1. The decisive round will be held on May 28th. Who do you think will win the #Turkish presidency?#TurkeyElections #Turkey pic.twitter.com/f2NkmmHhDa
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) May 15, 2023

The head of the election commission, Ahmet Yener, stated that Erdogan secured 49.51% of the votes while opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu obtained 44.88% of the votes marking the first stage of an extremely close battle for the highest governmental position in Turkey.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... her-turnou

[Anthea]

New Turkish parliament

Some 335 of 600 members are eligible to sit in parliament for the first time in the current parliamentary session

According to unofficial results, 335 out of 600 legislators were elected for the first time in Sunday's general election in Turkey for the 28th term of the Turkish parliament.

46 parliamentarians who were MPs prior to the 27th legislative term were re-elected for the next legislative term. In addition, 219 parliamentarians from the 27th term were re-elected to parliamentary seats.

Among the 335 lawmakers
148 belong to the Justice and Development Party (AK Party)
90 to the Republican People's Party (CHP)
47 to the Green Left Party
27 to the Good Party (IYI Party)
18 to the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP)
4 to the New Welfare Party
1 to the Turkish Labor Party.

On Sunday, millions of voters went to the polls to choose the country's president and members of its 600-seat parliament.

Although President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was unable to secure the win in the first round, marking the country's first-ever run-off, which Turkey's Supreme Elections Council scheduled for May 28, Erdogan believed that the election marked a victory for "Turkish democracy and the Turkish Nation."

Erdogan expressed confidence in emerging victorious in the next round of presidential elections after falling less than half of a percent short as counting was finalized on Monday.

The leader of the Justice and Development Party pointed to the 27 million votes he received saying that the Turkish people showed "great favor" towards his political party, adding that they "gave the majority in the Turkish Grand National Assembly to the People's Alliance, confirming that they trust us and our Alliance."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... -elected-m

[Anthea]

Erdogan's rival are Turkish nationalists

Turkey's opposition leader vowed Thursday to send back millions of migrants in a strident message aimed at winning the backing of an ultra-nationalist who helped push last weekend's presidential vote to a runoff

Secular opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu delivered his first public address since a landmark election Sunday in which he came almost five points behind President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Kilicdaroglu gave the opposition's best performance in Erdogan's two-decade rule.

But it fell short of expectations set by pre-election polling and left the opposition visibly depressed.

The 74-year-old has since revamped his campaign team and toughened his message to win over Turkey's right-wing voters in the May 28 runoff.

He also plans to meet Sinan Ogan -- a far-right figure who picked up 5.2 percent of the vote and is still weighing his endorsement.

Kilicdaroglu tried Thursday to toughen his message considerably from the more inclusive tone he set in the first stage of the campaign.

"Erdogan, you did not protect the borders and honour of the country," the former civil servant said.

"You have deliberately brought more than 10 million refugees to this country... As soon as I come to power, I will send all the refugees home."

Ogan has said he will only back a candidate who cracks down on migrants and fights "terrorism" -- a code word in Turkey for Kurdish militants

Veteran Turkey watcher Howard Eissenstat of the Middle East Institute said Kilicdaroglu was wooing nationalists by attacking Syrians because Kurds made up an important part of his base.

"The Kurds are a big part of his coalition," Eissenstat said. "But the Syrians are a relatively safe target because, for the large part, they cannot vote."

- 'Syrians are our brothers' -

Erdogan and his Islamic-rooted party were lionised across swathes of the Muslim world for their more embracing stance towards those fleeing conflicts in countries such as Syria.

Turkey's five-million-strong refugee and migrant population became the world's largest in the past decade.

A separate 2016 deal between Ankara and the European Union helped stem the continent's migrant crisis by allowing those trying to reach Western Europe to settle in Turkey.

Turkey won billions of euros in funding from Brussels for the programme.

But an economic crisis that gathered pace as the election neared sent anti-migrant sentiment soaring.

Erdogan's government has tried to find a middle ground.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said on Thursday that Turkey had already sent more than half a million Syrians back.

"We are not going to make Turkey into a refugee warehouse, and we have not done so to date. But the Syrians are our brothers," Soylu said.

"We cannot send them to their deaths. And we have not. Tayyip Erdogan doesn't want to be remembered as a leader who sent Syrians to their deaths."

Eissenstat said Erdogan looked comfortable heading into the runoff and did not need to radically change his tone.

"He felt like he was in danger before Sunday," the analyst said. "I don't feel like he feels that way anymore."

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... tionalists

[Anthea]

Kingmaker visits run-off rivals

Turkey’s third place candidate for the presidency, Sinan Ogan, and his party met separately on Friday with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, to discuss the second round of voting

Ogan got just over five percent of the May 14 vote, far behind Erdogan who led with 49.52 percent of the vote and Kilicdaroglu who got 44.88 percent. The two frontrunners will face off on May 28 with Ogan possibly playing the role of kingmaker if he endorses either candidate.

Ogan’s meeting with Erdogan in Istanbul lasted over an hour. Neither side has released a statement as of Friday evening.

In Ankara, Umit Ozdag, the leader of the Victory (Zafer) Party that fieldedOgan as its candidate for the presidency, met with Kilicdaroglu.

“We had some questions, asked them, and got detailed answers, and within the framework of the answers we got, we will do assessments with our authorized bodies,” Ozdag said in a joint press conference following the meeting.

Ozdag said he will discuss with Ogan before publicly stating their position on the second round of voting.

Ogan ran an anti-refugee campaign, promising if elected to deport all illegal immigrants from Turkey and return Syrians to their country. Anti-refugee sentiment is growing in Turkey, tied to economic hardship.

Erdogan, in contrast, has embraced pro-refugee policies.

In an interview released on Friday, Erdogan told CNN that he will not bend to Ogan’s wishes. He also dismissed Ogan’s position as kingmaker, stating that it is the people who make the decision.

Before the May 14 vote, polls had put Kilicdaroglu ahead of Erdogan. After not doing as well as expected, Kilicdaroglu has taken a harder stance on the refugee issue as he campaigns for the run-off. He promised to deport Syrian refugees and accused Erdogan of not protecting the borders, which he labeled the country’s “dignity.”

Turkey hosts over 3.6 million Syrian refugees who fled a civil war that has torn their country apart for more than 12 years.

Ogan got over 2.5 million votes in the first round and his endorsement of either presidential candidate could decide the race.

Under Turkey’s electoral law, the president must be elected with at least 50 percent plus one of the vote. If no one succeeds in the first round, the top two candidates go head-to-head in a second vote two weeks later.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... y/19052023

[Anthea]

Early voting underway

Early voting in Turkey's presidential runoff is currently underway in 77 countries worldwide

Early voting in the second round of Turkey's presidential elections began on Saturday in the country's embassy in Moscow.

The polling station will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time (05:00-19:00 GMT) from Saturday through Monday. Eligible voters can also vote at polling stations in Turkey's general consulates in Saint Petersburg, Kazan, and Novorossiysk, Russia.

"So afterward, we will transfer all the votes to Turkey for counting. That's why I hope all our citizens [living in Russia] will come and join us for voting processes," Turkish Ambassador in Moscow Mehmet Samsar told reporters.

The ambassador and his wife were among the first to vote in the embassy's early elections. Samsar also stated that it was "very early" to predict the outcome of the runoff, but he was confident that Ankara's approach toward Moscow would remain unchanged.

Early voting in Turkey's presidential runoff is underway in 77 countries worldwide and Ankara had previously stated that there were over 3.4 million registered voters abroad. Turkey held legislative and presidential elections on May 14. In the first round, incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received 49.24% of the vote, while his primary opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, received 45.07%. A runoff election is scheduled for May 28.

The upcoming run-off elections

In the upcoming second round, it is important to consider that Erdogan is expected to have an advantageous position over Kilicdaroglu due to his lead in the first round and the positive parliamentary results favoring the ruling coalition in contrast to the opposition.

The outcome came as a surprise and disappointment to the opposition, who had set high expectations for both the presidential and parliamentary elections. In the presidential race, the opposition was hopeful that even if they couldn't secure victory in the first round, Kilicdaroglu would at least receive the highest number of votes.

Based on the results, it has become evident that Erdogan is leading by around four points over Kilicdaroglu in the first round. The parliamentary elections are also of great significance as the opposition had hoped to secure a majority in parliament, thereby assuming leadership.

There has been an ongoing debate within opposition circles that even if Erdogan is not defeated in the presidential elections, simply gaining a majority in parliament would undermine his satisfaction of winning a new presidential term.

It has become evident that the opposition is experiencing a crisis, not only in the parliamentary elections but also in achieving a presidential majority, as the ruling coalition has managed to secure a majority in parliament.

In terms of alliances, analysts indicate that there has been a significant shift for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) since it formed a coalition with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) in the middle of the previous decade. They argue that it is because the AKP is no longer able to reach power and govern independently; it is in need of forming a government.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... -in-russia

[Anthea]

Erdogan wont interfere in youth's lifestyles

One week before the runoff elections, after obtaining the highest percentage of votes during the first round of elections, Erdogan sent a formal message to the Turkish youth through his Twitter account

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, incumbent Turkish President, and running candidate in the current presidential elections, called on Turkish youth to be careful of "the smear campaigns and lies which try to paint a bleak picture of him", assuring them that he did not interfere in their lifestyles nor will he allow anyone to do so.

One week before the runoff elections, after obtaining the highest percentage of votes during the first round of elections, Erdogan sent a formal message to the Turkish youth through his Twitter account.

Sevgili genç kardeşlerim,

Hazreti Mevlana “Testinin içinde ne varsa, dışına da o sızar” diyor.

Dipsiz karanlıklarda debelenenler umut veremez. Vizyonu, hayali, ideali, hedefi olmayanlar ufuk çizemez.…
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) May 20, 2023

"Those who struggle in complete darkness cannot give hope, and those who do not have a vision, dream, example, or goal cannot draw the horizon," Erdogan said in his tweet.

The Turkish president called on the youth not to "pay attention to the lies" that come from what he called "those who want to share with you their political failures and the bleak picture they are trying to paint."

In his message, the Turkish President recalled what he described as the many investments and projects which were initiated during his presidency. He announced that he worked "seriously" throughout his years as president so that "the youth may express themselves freely and live life to the fullest."

"We did all this for you, and we succeeded with your support, effort, and sweat, and I hope that we will start building the Turkish century with you after May 28," Erdogan concluded.

Earlier this week, Erdogan assured that he would maintain the same foreign policy towards Russia and other countries if he wins the presidential race in the second round.

After no candidate won an absolute majority (50% +1) of the votes in the Turkish elections, the head of the nation’s election authority announced on Monday that a runoff will take place on May 28, 2023.

Erdogan closed the first round with 49.51% of the votes, with Kilicdaroglu placing second at 44.88%, followed by Sinan Ogan at 5.17%.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... lifestyles

[Anthea]

Sweden meddling in election

Turkey accuses Sweden of election meddling, as it sees that Stockholm wants to influence the vote in Turkey to oust incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has accused Sweden of meddling in his country's elections after the runoff election was set for next Sunday.

Soylu, a member of the ruling AKP party, accused election monitors from the Swedish Oy ve Otesi (vote and Beyond) of putting pressure on voters at polling places.

"The Swedish state is funding this Oy ve Otesi association. Sending it money, but why? To interfere in the election in Turkey. It is so obvious and clear," the minister told a campaign rally in Istanbul, as quoted by the Aydinlik newspaper.

Soylu is renowned for his constant harsh criticism of the West, accusing the United States on Wednesday of trying to influence the election that has seen President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, go into a runoff election that will be held on Sunday.

Sweden has been pushing for NATO accession for months, and that requires unanimous approval from all of the alliance's members. Though it applied with Finland to join NATO, Sweden was left in the dust after Turkey was the sole country not to agree to its accession after approving Finland's bid.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin claimed that Finland still wants to join NATO with Sweden, noting that "we have sent a very clear signal and a very clear message to Turkey and also to Hungary... that we want to enter NATO together and this is in the interest of everyone."

Days later, Finland became a member of NATO and Stockholm was still seeking membership.

Ankara suspended negotiations with Sweden in outrage following rallies attacking the Turkish leadership in Stockholm and the burning of the holy Quran outside Turkey's embassy, but the talks resumed in Brussels on March 9.

Turkey has opposed Sweden's bid, accusing Stockholm of providing a safe haven for what it considers "terrorists", especially members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Erdogan emphasized on several occasions that the ratification of Sweden's membership in NATO will depend on Stockholm's future actions.

Erdogan closed the first round with 49.51% of the votes, with Kilicdaroglu placing second at 44.88%, followed by Sinan Ogan at 5.17%.

After no candidate won an absolute majority (50% +1) of the votes in the Turkish elections, the head of the nation's electoral authority announced that a runoff will take place on May 28, 2023.

In the upcoming second round, it is important to consider that Erdogan is expected to have an advantageous position over Kilicdaroglu due to his lead in the first round and the positive parliamentary results favoring the ruling coalition in contrast to the opposition.

The outcome came as a surprise and disappointment to the opposition, who had set high expectations for both the presidential and parliamentary elections. In the presidential race, the opposition was hopeful that even if they couldn't secure victory in the first round, Kilicdaroglu would at least receive the highest number of votes.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... -proclaims

[Anthea]

Erdogan has support from Sinan Ogan

Turkey's third-place finisher, Sinan Ogan, and leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party said on Monday that he will be endorsing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the second round of Turkey's elections which are scheduled to be held on May 28

"We will support the People's Alliance candidate, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the second round of the elections on May 28," he told reporters. "I invite voters who backed us in the first round to support Mr. Erdogan in the second round."

Ogan obtained 5.2 percent of the vote on May 14. Were it not for him, Erdogan could have won in the first round.

On Friday, Ogan met with Erdogan and held separate meetings with allies of opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Ogan, a staunch supporter of a brand of nationalism founded on the values of the post-Ottoman republic's creator Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, has been an outspoken proponent of the expulsion of migrants in Turkey, while also seeking a firm position against Kurdish groups fighting for autonomy in Turkish territory.

He is also known for preventing the opposition from proceeding with a bill proposal that would dilute the Turkish language at the expense of other linguistic groups in the country.

Observers have argued that Ogan's endorsement could be decisive for the upcoming elections, with some going as far as calling him a 'Kingmaker.'

"Ogan's newfound reputation as a kingmaker is an exaggeration... Ogan's backing for Erdogan is no guarantee that his voters from the first round will follow in lockstep," Hamish Kinnear of the Verisk Maplecroft consultancy told AFP.

"Assuming Erdogan's first round voters remain on side, only a small portion of Ogan's voters need to go with Erdogan to push the president into his third decade in power."

Where Erdogan has been the target of criticism for his policies targeting civil liberties, including from his main rival opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu who accused Erdogan of failing to "protect the borders and honor of our country," Kilicdaroglu has himself been the object of serious concerns amid recent meetings he held with US officials.

Erdogan has made it clear that he has no plans of making any concessions to Ogan in exchange for a political endorsement.

Shortly after the news broke out, Kilicdaroglu tweeted an aggressive message accusing unidentified forces of "selling out this beautiful country" and signaled his intention to continue pursuing the nationalist vote.

"We are coming to save this country from terrorism and refugees," Kilicdaroglu wrote. "This is a referendum. No one can fool anyone anymore."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/pol ... -turkeys-e

[Anthea]

Turkey cracks down on HDP
Wladimir van Wilgenburg

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – As a result of a police operation, ordered by the Mersin Public Prosecutor's Office, against the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), at least 28 people have been detained in five cities

The crack down comes ahead of the second round of voting for the Turkish presidential elections on May 28.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his opposition rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu were unable to receive majority votes in the first round on May 14, leading to a second round.

During the lead up to the first round of elections, dozens of people linked to the HDP were also detained.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/31 ... arty-again