Presidential election in Turkey: ultranationalist Ogan backs Erdogan for second round

Turkish ultranationalist candidate Sinan Ogan announcing his support for outgoing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the second round of elections, Monday, May 22, 2023 in Ankara. REUTERS - CAGLA GURDOGAN

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Sinan Ogan, the ultranationalist candidate, announced on Monday (May 22nd) his support for Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the second round of the presidential election, which will be held on Sunday (May 28th). Sinan Ogan, who came third in the first round on 14th May won 5.2% of the vote. His voters are being courted by both the outgoing president and his rival, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.

Advertising

Read more

With our correspondent in Istanbul, Anne Andlauer

This is good news for Recep Tayyip Erdoqan, who missed less than 300,000 votes to be re-elected in the first round of the presidential election. Sinan Ogan, who won more than 14.2 million votes on 8th May called on his voters to support the outgoing Turkish President in the second round on Sunday 28th May.

This "third man" of the election, who claims to embody a third political way, said he had acted in the name of "stability". Sinan Ogan said parliament and the presidency should be held by the same alliance. However, he recalled, the alliance led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a majority in the general elections, which were also held on 14th May.

It is difficult to know to what extent Sinan Ogan, who has no electoral base of his own, is able to influence the choice of those who voted for him. The latter are Turkish nationalists who generally criticise both the outgoing president and his main opponent.

But one thing seems certain: with this decision, Sinan Ogan hopes to promote his political future. In the more or less long term, he covets the presidency of the Nationalist Action Party, the MHP, from which he was expelled in 2017 and whose current leader, Devlet Bahçeli, is now the main ally of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

" READ ALSO – Presidential in Turkey: a few days of the second round, Kiliçdaroglu mobilizes at all costs

Newsletter Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

Read on on the same topics:

  • Turkey
  • Recep Tayyip Erdogan