Turkish presidential candidate Sinan Oğan, who came third in the presidential elections, told several international media outlets that he wants to obtain decisive assurances on several issues before supporting a candidate in the scheduled run-off. On the 28th of May.
“We have some preconditions,” Oğan said in his office in Ankara, referring to the fight against terrorism and the return of Syrian refugees.
He added that there is a need to obtain constitutional protection to guarantee the secular principles of Türkiye in order to obtain the support of the ATA Alliance, which was named after the founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Oğan said he would ask any candidate he supports to sign an agreement and share its details under a transparent protocol with the people.
Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erğdoan won 49.4% of the vote in the elections held on Sunday.
Opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu came second, with 44.96%, and he will need Oğan’s support in the run-off to get more than the 50% needed to become the next president.
Oğan explained that the two camps had contacted him to congratulate him, but that serious negotiations hadn’t yet begun, including about a possible position in the new government.
He expected to reach a final decision by the end of next week to avoid ambiguity.
Regarding his pivotal role, Oğan said, “If Sinan Oğan hadn’t been in the race, Erdoğan would have delivered his victory speech from his balcony last night (Sunday)”.
Erdoğan appeared on the balcony of his party’s headquarters in Ankara to address cheering supporters, but was unable to declare complete victory.
Oğan added that he was very comfortable playing the role of kingmaker, and confirmed his confidence that he would be able to convince the 2.8 million people who voted for him to support the candidate who will announce his support.
Oğan said that the camp of candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu mistaken by ignoring the real strength of the right-wing movement in Türkiye.
He considered that Kılıçdaroğlu’s alliance of six secular, nationalist and conservative Islamic parties, including former allies of Erdogan, had failed to win the people’s trust.
