Turkey Presidential Election Heads to Runoff as Erdoğan Falls Short of Majority

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his main opposition challenger, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, are set for a runoff election after both failed to secure the necessary 50% of votes in the initial round. With 98% of votes counted, Erdoğan, who has been in power since 2003, secured 49.34%, while Kılıçdaroğlu trailed with 45%. The election drew a record 88% turnout, the highest in the republic’s history. The third candidate, Sinan Ogan, who received 5.28% of the votes, could potentially influence the runoff outcome. Amid international scrutiny, the election has put Erdoğan, who claimed a clear parliamentary majority for his Islamic ruling party, in the most challenging position of his career. The runoff, Turkey’s first in its 100-year history, is slated for May 28.