Turkish ultranationalist Sinan Ogan is backing incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the second round of the presidential election, he announced on Monday. The announcement comes after a meeting on Friday between Erdogan and Ogan, where the two politicians did not speak immediately afterwards.
Erdogan received 49.5 percent of the vote in the first round, compared to 44.9 percent who voted for Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.
Not settled
Sinan Ogan, who previously belongs to the strongly nationalist MHP, came third with just over five percent of the vote, and therefore may not run in the second round to be held on Sunday, where Erdogan is challenged by Kiliçdaroglu.
Political observers remind us that the election is not decided with Ogan's message. It is not certain that his support for Erdogan means that all his voters will cast their vote for the incumbent president. Some of them may instead cast their votes for Kiliçdaroglu, or simply abstain in the second round, according to the analysts.
Made demands
Ogan has attracted voters with his strongly anti-immigration policies. Last week, he announced his demands to support a candidate in the second round, including a clampdown on the terror-labelled Kurdish group PKK and a plan to expel millions of refugees who have arrived in Turkey in recent years.
Erdogan said in a comment to CNN that he would not bow to such demands.
"I am not a person who likes to negotiate in such a way. The people will be the ones who become kingmakers," Erdogan said.