The Turkish election goes into a second round of voting and has been scheduled to hold on May 28, 2023, the country’s high electoral body said.
Neither Erdogan nor the main opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, garnered at least 50% of the vote during an earlier round of voting on Sunday.
Erdogan’s win at the polls would have offered him yet another chance to tighten his grip on the country’s political space.
The 2023 Turkish national election is the fiercest Erdogan has ever faced since he became the prime minister of Turkey and later the president of the country.
Erdogan’s unshaken political strides faced tough opposition following the economic woes that befell the country in the last few years.
Turkey’s galloping inflation, the crash of the country’s currency, and the earthquakes that killed over 50,000 people earlier this year contributed to Erdogan’s dwindling political future.
In Ankara, the country’s capital, Erdogan spoke to a large crowd of supporters. He stated his convictions about the elections, saying that he could still win. And in any case, he didn’t, and if the election goes into a second round of voting, he would respect the decision of the people of Turkey. if the race went to a runoff vote in two weeks.
The election in Turkey is considered one of the most important events in the world this week, considering how its outcome will impact global politics.
The results of the elections will determine whether Turkey will remain a disruptive NATO ally. It is expected that a win for Kilicdaroglu would rekindle Turkey’s pledge to NATO’s ideals.
Under Erdogan, the strategic relevance of Turkey as a NATO partner hasn’t been properly explored.
