The vote in Turkey's second circular of presidential elections ended. More than half of the votes cast have already been counted.
The voters had the choice of incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and supported by most opposition by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. I remind you that in the first circular Erdoğan won 49.52% of the vote, Kılıçdaroğlu – 44.88%, and Sinan Ogan – 5.17%.
Election venues closed at 17.00 local time, i.e. at 16.00 Polish time. Turnout was lower than in the first circular and was 84.21%. After calculating 50.11% of the votes closer to the win seems to be Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who at that minute gained 56.3% of the votes.
The President-in-Office during the election run presented his imagination of Turkey's development, which may or may not like, but it was coherent. Powerful aspirations, economic, energy and technological independence, integration of the Turkish planet by strengthening ties with the post-Turkish countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus, and supporting the Turks surviving in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Cyprus, but besides in Russia, China, the Balkans... – these are the key directions of Erdoğan's policy.
Erdogan: We have reunited with all the countries with which we share a common history, language, beliefs and culture. By establishing the Turkish State Organisation, we have strengthened our ties with Turkish republics even more. With Azerbaijan, we liberated Karabach... https://t.co/PLjLaw4uaC
— Wojciech Kempa (@wojciech_kempa) May 23, 2023
In turn, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu dressed himself in pigeon feathers before the first round, symbolizing the heart, in the form of which he folded his fingers during pre-election meetings, as well as his closest colleagues. He so promised to resume the accession talks with the European Union, which active the implementation of the EU standards and which in turn resulted in financial support from the West. He promised to retreat the Turkish troops from Syria and Iraq... Many hopes of his choice were tied by Kurdish separatists, who supported him collectively.
Before the second circular of Kılıçdaroğlu began hitting nationalist speech and taking aggressive pose. Apparently, his staff has come to the conclusion that those voters who supported him in the first round, despite this change, will stay with him, and he must take decisive action to get fresh voters.
If I were to tempt for an analogy to Poland, then supporting Erdogan – ACP and MHP is the equivalent of PiS and Solidary Poland. The CHP, which is headed by Kılıçdaroğlu, is their PO, with the support of the full left-liberal option there, as well as – as has already been mentioned – Kurdish separatists. Sianan Ogan, on the another hand, is specified a more powerful Krzysztof Bosak and the ATA Alliance supporting him is the equivalent of our Confederation.
Apparently, his staff has come to the conclusion that those voters who supported him in the first round, despite this change, will stay with him, and he must take decisive action to get fresh voters.
— Wojciech Kempa (@wojciech_kempa) May 18, 2023
Meanwhile, Sinan Oğan, who advocates the integration of the Turkish states and is in favour of a decisive fight against the PKK, yet supported Erdoğan's second round. But Ümit Özdağ, the leader of the triumph organization (Zafer Partisi), which was part of the Nationalist ATA Alliance, supporting Sinan Oğan in the first circular of the election, supported Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Let us add that Ümit Özdağ is simply a supporter of the forced deportation of Syrian refugees, which he believes can be done in agreement with Asad and in cooperation with Russia and Iran.
Ümit Özdağ, leader of the triumph organization (Zafer Partisi), which was part of the Nationalist ATA Alliance, supporting Sinan Oğan in the first circular of the election, will support Kemal Kılēdaroğlu while Oğan decided to support Erdoğan. pic.twitter.com/GgWkoSznol
— Wojciech Kempa (@wojciech_kempa) May 22, 2023
