After tallying 99% of the votes in the Turkish presidential election, it is evident that a runoff will be necessary. In the first round, incumbent President Recep Erdogan received 49.4% of the vote and opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu almost 45%. Ultranationalist candidate Sinan Ogan received about 5% of the vote.
The runoff will take place on 28 May.
Read also: Kilicdaroglu pushes Erdogan to historic runoffWhile Turkey expresses a desire to move closer to the European Union, the country has also been a source of frustration for the continent. Furthermore, Turkey’s increasing relations with Russia and China position it as a significant player on the geopolitical stage.
In conversation with RTL on Monday morning, Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, expressed his approval of both remaining candidates accepting the necessity of a runoff.
Minister Asselborn also commended their flexibility and refusal to be obstinate, despite the initial outcome not being favorable.
What will tip the balance, according to the Foreign Affairs Minister, is the 5% obtained by the ultranationalist candidate. He stressed the importance of this choice for Turkey:
“It is obvious that if Erdogan wins, democracy and the rule of law will not fare well. He is an important member of NATO, but is constantly getting closer and closer to Moscow and Beijing. If Kilicdaroglu were to win, it would be important to dissolve the presidential system that Erdogan has made for himself and that they return to a parliamentary system.”
The international press has expressed a degree of surprise regarding Erdogan’s potential continuation in power, considering the corruption within the system, the wheeling and dealing, limitations on freedom of expression, the existence of political prisoners, the failures in dealing with the recent earthquake disaster, and the escalating inflation that further exacerbates the challenges faced by the Turkish population on a daily basis.
