With nearly 76 percent of votes counted, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has gained 50.8 percent while his opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu from the CHP party has gained 43.4 percent. However, the results can change as most of the counted votes are from Erdogan-loyal bases in Turkey’s north and east. Despite this, the opposition has not given up hope. According to spokesperson Faik Oztrak, the CHP sees a positive picture in their data, and Kilicdaroglu even tweeted that they are leading. Erdogan is believed to have an advantage due to state-controlled media support, with TRT broadcasting 32 hours of his election speech in April compared to Kilicdaroglu’s 32 minutes. A second round of elections will be held on May 28 if no candidate reaches 50 percent of the votes. In addition, the article includes facts about Turkey’s election, with 64 million entitled to vote and a fifth being under 25 years of age. The largest party in opposition, CHP, traditionally describes itself as secular and social democratic.
When almost 76 percent of the votes have been counted Recep Tayyip Erdogan collected 50.8 percent of the vote, while the challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu from the CHP party gets 43.4 percent.
The results may change. Most of the votes initially counted came from staunchly Erdogan-loyal voter bases in Turkey’s north and east.
And the opposition has not given up.
– We see a positive picture, according to our data, says Faik Oztrakspokesperson for the CHP.
Shortly afterwards, Kiliçdaroglu tweeted “We are leading”.
Erdogan is considered to have a big advantage because the state-controlled media has supported his candidacy.
Erkan Sakaprofessor of media studies, told when TT interviewed him in Istanbul earlier in May that during the month of April, the state media company TRT according to its own information broadcast 32 hours of Erdogan’s election speech, while Kiliçdaroglu received 32 minutes.
– They even brag about it, with no small amount of pride. But 32 against 32, at least you have to give them that they have a sense of humor, noted Erkan Saka.
If none of the candidates reaches 50 percent when the votes are counted, there will be a second round of elections on May 28.
Facts | The election in Turkey
Today, May 14, Turkey held presidential and parliamentary elections. 64 million are entitled to vote, of which 61 million live in the country.
Just over five million are first-time voters. A fifth of all voters are under 25, and 51 percent are under 40.
If no presidential candidate secures more than 50 percent of the vote, a second election round will be held on May 28.
The country’s largest party, the AKP, founded by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has ruled Turkey since 2002. But after a period of economic instability and accusations of increasingly authoritarian rule, support has waned.
In the parliamentary elections, voters from 87 constituencies will elect 600 members for a five-year term in the Turkish parliament.
In parliament, the AKP does not have its own majority, but rules with the help of the strongly nationalist MHP.
Ahead of the election, most of the opposition has gathered in a broad coalition, with parties from widely different backgrounds.
The largest party in the opposition, CHP founded by the father of the country Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, traditionally describes itself as secular and social democratic. The CHP is led by opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.
Source: TT