Supporters of Turkey’s single opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu are counting on the decisive role of those voters who vote for him as a protest measure, Erdogan Toprak, an adviser to the candidate and MP from his Republican People’s Party (CHP), said.
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Incumbent Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan won 49.52% of the vote in the first round of the presidential elections, his opponent from the seven opposition parties Kılıçdaroglu – 44.88%. The second round of presidential elections is scheduled for May 28. To win, a candidate needs a simple majority of votes.
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“Ex-candidate Sinan Ogan, who supported Erdogan, does not have “his” voters – supporters of the protest vote voted for him. We are sure that we can get part of the votes cast in the first round for his Ata coalition. Moreover, I think we will be able to convince those who voted in protest, and we will get all the protest votes,” Toprak said.
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Former Turkish presidential candidate from the Ata alliance, Ogan, who received more than 5% of the vote in the first round, previously announced support for Erdogan in the second round of the presidential election on May 28. In his speech, he stressed the importance of expelling several million illegal migrants from Turkey and developing a deportation schedule, as well as continuing to fight all terrorist groups. Erdogan himself, commenting on Ogan’s support, said that he did not “bargain” with him and did not promise any posts in return.
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The Ata alliance also included the Zafer party, but after the general elections, it announced the actual collapse of the alliance, and its leader Umit Ozdag supported Kılıçdaroğlu. The party noted that Ogan made a statement on his own behalf. Zafer received 2% of the vote in the parliamentary elections and did not go to the legislative chamber.
