Turkey's presidential election runoff election begins: a close race between incumbent and opposition candidate

In Turkey in the Middle East, which is increasing its presence by buying a mediator in the situation in Ukraine, a runoff election for the presidential election has begun.
A close race between the incumbent Mr. Erdogan and the opposition unity candidate Mr. Kılıçdarğlu is expected, and the outcome of the election, which could affect the international situation, will be closely watched.

Turkey's presidential election was a run-off election between incumbent Erdogan and Kırčídalu, the leader of the largest opposition party and running as a unified candidate of six opposition parties, as no candidate received the majority of votes needed to win the election as a result of the vote held on the 14th of this month.

Voting began at 28 a.m. local time on the 8th and at 28 p.m. on the 2th, Japan time, and voters lined up one after another to cast their votes at a polling station set up at an elementary school in the capital Ankara.

Mr. Erdogan has appealed to the achievements of his 20 years of administration, including his time as prime minister, including an agreement on the export of agricultural products from Ukraine, where Russia continues to invade the country, and boasting the results of intermediary diplomacy.

In response, Mr. Kılčídaluğlu advocates a pro-Western policy on the diplomatic front, criticizes the economic policies of the Erdogan administration and its authoritarian political methods in response to currency depreciation and soaring prices, and calls for a change of government.

In the vote on the 14th, Mr. Erdogan won nearly 5 points ahead of Mr. Kılıdčdarğlu, but a close race is expected in the runoff election.

Many foreign media visit the polling stations to cover the election, and attention is focused on the future of the election, which can affect the international situation, and voting will be held until 11 p.m. Japan time and will be counted on the same day.

Those who voted

On the 28th, when the runoff election for the presidential election was being held, people who had voted in the capital Ankara expressed both their desire for the continuation of the government and those for a change.

A 58-year-old woman who said she voted for the incumbent, Erdogan, said: "He changed and developed everything in Turkey and made it a country that attracts attention from a lot of countries, and I voted for this stability to continue."

A 59-year-old man said, "President Erdogan has developed roads to the point where everyone who visits Turkey is surprised.

On the other hand, a 70-year-old woman who voted for Mr Kılčdalu said, "President Erdogan has led the government for 20 years, so enough is enough, and now is the time to change everything, from rising prices to the situation surrounding human rights."

An 18-year-old man said, "As long as President Erdogan remains in his current position, he will taint the values of this country, and I voted for Mr. Kılčídalu for the future of our younger generation."

Both candidates have different positions on relations with Russia

One of the focal points of this presidential election is relations with Russia.

Turkey and Russia have strong economic and energy cooperation. Turkey imports about 3% of its natural gas from Russia, and Turkey's first nuclear power plant, which is under construction in the south, is also supported by Russia. Furthermore, of the 1 million foreign tourists who visited Turkey last year, about 4400.520 million were from Russia, accounting for more than 1%.

With regard to such close ties with Russia, Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Kırııııdığlu have different positions.

Mr. Erdogan has been acting as a mediator in the situation in Ukraine, has been in dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and has maintained relations with Russia without participating in sanctions by Western countries.

On the other hand, Mr. Kılčídalu has been advocating improved relations with Western countries that have been strained under the Erdogan administration, and is also taking a positive stance on joining the EU.

During the election period, he took a strong stance against Russia, claiming that Russia would interfere in the election and appealing on his SNS, "If you want to maintain friendly relations, withdraw from Turkey." For this reason, there is a view that if Mr. Kılčdaluğlu comes to power, relations with Russia may be reviewed.

In the resorts of Turkey

In resorts that benefit economically from Russian tourists, relations with Russia have been reconsidered in the event of a change of government, and some have expressed concerns about the impact on their own businesses.

Of these, the resorts of southern Turkey attracted more than 300 million Russian tourists last year, the largest number by country.

Even after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Erdogan administration has been promoting the attraction of Russian tourists, and on the 21st in the tourist city of Antalya, local Foreign Minister Cavushuolu and others held a meeting to exchange views with citizens. "We have set tourism goals, and some people say 'impose sanctions on Russia and change balance diplomacy,' but they only undermine Turkey's special status," Ceauşoğlu said.

"Mr. Kılčídalu's remarks have a negative impact on the region, and we must continue to act as a mediator in the effort for peace between Russia and Ukraine," Ceausuğlu told NHK after the rally, stressing that Turkey's mediatorial diplomacy is also contributing to the local economy.

Many people in the tourism industry welcome such good relations with Russia under the Erdogan administration.

Roma Omer, 35, who works in the entertainment business at a resort hotel in Antalya, has mastered the Russian language and is focusing on dealing with Russian tourists. Omer said that Russian tourists contribute the most to sales, and that there are many long-term visitors, but that "I think Russian tourists are also watching the election, and some Russians are worried," and that depending on the outcome of the election, Russian tourists could be affected.

On top of that, Ms. Omer said that she would vote for President Erdogan, saying, "President Erdogan has protected the tourism industry even during the coronavirus pandemic and economic crisis, and he will do a better job if he continues to do so."

Meanwhile, Hasan Deltri, a 40-year-old travel agent in Antalya, is alarmed that local industries are becoming more dependent on Russia even as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues. More than 8% of Deltori's customers are tourists from Russia, but excessive dependence is risky in the long run, and he believes that attracting tourists from Europe should be promoted.

On top of that, he said, "The reason why tourists do not come from Europe is because of President Erdogan's policies, and if there is a change of government, tourism will also be vitalized," and he had high hopes for Mr. Kılčidaloğlu amid the strained relations with Western countries under the current administration.