Turkish President RT Erdogan, who has ruled the country for the past two decades, faced a highly competitive election on Sunday. The final ballots were being tabulated, and a runoff against his primary opponent could determine whether Turkey, a NATO ally that spans Europe and Asia, remains under Erdogans control or follows the more democratic path promoted by his primary rival, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.Victory wont be easy for Erdogan this timeErdogan shared confidence in his chances of winning at an address to his supporters in Ankara but said he would uphold the nations decision if a runoff vote was required in two weeks. He accepted that votes from Turkish citizens living abroad must still be counted, pointing out that he had enjoyed strong outside support during previous elections. The economy, civil rights, and the aftermath of a terrible earthquake in February were among the primary concerns in this years election. Western nations and foreign investors, on the other hand, were keeping a careful eye on the final result due to concerns about Erdogans style of governance and Turkeys international standing.The unofficial vote count indicated that Erdogan had fallen short of the majority required for an outright reelection. He secured 49.6% of the vote, while Kilicdaroglu, backed by a six-party alliance, obtained 44.7%, according to the state-run news agency Anadolu. Turkeys election body, the Supreme Electoral Board, stated that it would swiftly share the numbers with contending political parties and reveal the official results after the counting process was completed. The majority of abroad ballots from the 3.4 million eligible voters remain uncounted, raising the prospect of a runoff election on May 28.Image: TwitterWhat are Erdogans major hurdles for a comebackErdogan, 69, has been Prime Minister or President of Turkey since 2003. Pre-election polls showed his challenger, Kilicdaroglu, with a slight lead. Kilicdaroglu ran on promises to reverse authoritarian practices, preserve free expression, address economic issues, and restore democratic ideals. Members of Kilicdaroglus centre-left Republican Peoples Party disputed the initial Anadolu figures, accusing the state-run agency of bias in favour of Erdogan. The ruling partys spokesperson responded by blaming the opposition for undermining democracy through unethical accusations.Kemal Kilicdaroglu (Image: Twitter)While Erdogan seeks a fifth five-year term, extending his presidency well into a third decade, Kilicdaroglu, 74, has pledged to halt the deterioration of democratic values, including constraints on freedom of expression, as well as deal with economic issues such as high inflation and currency devaluation. In addition to the presidential election, voters chose members of Turkeys 600-seat parliament, which saw its legislative power reduced following a referendum in 2017 that changed the countrys government system to an executive presidency. Image: TwitterWith 92% of ballot boxes counted, Erdogans ruling party alliance hovered below the 50% mark, while Kilicdaroglus Nation Alliance secured around 35% and a pro-Kurdish party obtained over 10%. Erdogan maintained that despite the final results not yet being determined, the nation had chosen his party.
