The Independent newspaper published a report by Borzo Dragahi from Istanbul discussing Türkiye’s presidential elections and what it seems to be headed for a run-off as Erdoğan struggles for his political survival”.
The Turkish presidential elections are going on a knife edge, and their results are very close, which means that they are increasingly heading to a run-off, with the tense count continuing on Sunday night.
The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the opposition, led by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, are seeking to win over the voters, as it seemed that none of the candidates would cross the 50% threshold required for a complete victory.
Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party and the Republican People’s Party clashed over coverage of the counting of votes, in reference to the extent of the division this competition has reached.
Expectations before the presidential elections, which take place alongside the parliamentary elections, indicate that the results will be close.
Erdoğan is fighting for his political life against the opposition of six bold and extraordinarily broad parties united behind Kılıçdaroğlu.
Charges presented by pro-government and pro-opposition sources differed markedly as midnight approached.
Results compiled by the state-owned Anadolu news agency showed Erdoğan won 49.9% of the vote compared to Kılıçdaroğlu’s 44.4%, with 91% of the ballots counted.
Another poll by the opposition ANKA news agency showed that with 95% of the votes counted, Erdoğan had 49% and Kılıçdaroğlu 45%.
Another tally for Kılıçdaroğlu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) showed him winning 47.2% of the vote, compared to Erdoğan’s 46.8%.
Turkish opposition leaders have accused the state-run Anadolu News Agency of presenting an image of the election that favors Erdoğan.
The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and the mayor of Ankara, Mansur Yavaş, publicly criticized the counting process and urged voters not to recognize it.
