Erdogan was close to making it but remained on 49.42 percent of tickets submitted, while Kilicdaroglu, presented as a single candidate from six political factions, scored 44.88 points in the popular favor, local TV reported.
Such a result was predicted by various polls and groups of analysts in this capital, which only in very few cases dared to issue a rating that could place one of the three presidential candidates above 50 percent.
The data, after counting 99.21 percent of the ballots, point to a reshuffle in the elections on the 28th of this month between Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu, well above nationalist Sinan Ogan’s 5.3 points.
Parliamentary elections, also held that day, presented more opportunities to Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party, Kilicdaroglu’s Republican People’s Party and Ogan’s Ancestral Alliance.
Polls at the time were conflicting about the ruling party’s chances of retaining its majority, although analysts acknowledge that the winning political formation will have a crucial impact on the results of the presidential runoff.
In the case of the 600-seat 28th legislature, there will be a proportional representation based on the results of its 87 constituencies. In this dispute, 24 party lists and 151 independent candidates were presented.
In order to enter the Turkish National Assembly, the political formations have to clear the seven-point hurdle.
Faced with the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake, which affected more than three million people, and inflation at over 30 percent, Erdogan faced the challenge of pulling the country out of a severe economic crisis and winning the elections.
For his part, Kilicdaroglu enjoys the full support of the West, to which he directs many of his proposals regarding his country’s relations with Russia, which he promises to review, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union. with plans to improve them.
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