Recep Tyyip Erdogan has to go to a second round – now official. By contrast, the voting behavior of Turks in Austria and other countries is clearly in favor of the incumbent president. The second round of the elections could now be decisively influenced by an ultra-nationalist politician.
The Turks who are eligible to vote in Austria have once again clearly spoken out in favor of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential elections. After counting 97.14 percent of the ballot boxes, the incumbent president received almost 72 percent of the vote, according to figures from the state news agency Anadolu on Monday.
Official figures from the electoral authority are not yet available. Erdogan has yet to go to a second round. In the first round, the incumbent president received 49.51 percent of the vote, his challenger Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu got 44.88 percent, the head of the electoral authority said Monday. The run-off is scheduled for May 28.
In total, about 64 million people were asked to vote, of which about 3.4 million were abroad. For the second round, voters with a Turkish passport in Austria and other countries can vote between May 20 and 24.
In Germany, too, the incumbent party accounted for almost two-thirds of the vote, with almost 98 percent of the ballot boxes being counted. According to this interim figure, Erdogan received nearly 65 percent of the vote in Germany, while opposition leader Kılıçdaroğlu received just under 33 percent. Erdogan did much better in Austria, Germany, but also in France or the Benelux countries, as well as other European countries with many Turks living abroad, than in the general election.
Kilicdaroglu in der Schweiz vorne
Only in Switzerland did Kılıçdaroğlu win over the Turkish electorate. After counting all the ballot boxes, the opposition candidate got 57.60 percent there, while Erdogan only got 40.33 percent. The background to this may be that many members of the opposition sought refuge in Switzerland after the military coup in 1980.
Kingmaker Sinan Ogan?
The candidate of an ultra-nationalist party alliance, Sinan Ogan, came third. He could be a kingmaker now. Which candidate he supports depends on concessions to Kurds: “We will consult our electoral base for our decision in the second round,” Ogan told Reuters news agency on Monday. “But we have already made it clear that counter-terrorism and returning refugees are our common thread.”
The election campaign was considered unfair by pundits, also because of the government’s superior media power. Erdogan had sharply attacked the opposition, describing his opponent as a “drunkard” and “terrorist”. The opposition responded with a positive campaign.
Erdogan now has a good chance
In the second round, the alliance around Erdogan has “numerical and psychological advantages,” said Galip Dalay, an expert at the British think tank Chatham House. “In the election campaign, he will most likely emphasize the issue of stability, especially since his alliance already has a majority in parliament.”
In particular, Erdogan enjoys the support of devout Turks, who once felt disenfranchised in secular Turkey. Human rights activists, on the other hand, accuse him of harming Turkish democracy. Critics fear he will continue his authoritarian course if he wins the election
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
