<p><strong>New Delhi:</strong> Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled the country for 20 years, found himself in a closely contested election on Sunday, with the possibility of a make-or-break runoff against his main opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu as the final votes were counted, reported Associated Press.</p> <p>In the election, Erdogan edged ahead of his secular rival but failed to secure a first-round win. Neither Erdogan nor his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu were able to cross the 50% threshold needed to avoid a second round, to be held on May 28, in an election seen as a verdict on Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian path.</p> <p>According to Reuters, the presidential vote will decide not only who leads Turkey, a NATO-member country of 85 million, but also whether it reverts to a more secular, democratic path; how it will handle its severe cost of living crisis and manage key relations with Russia, the Middle East, and the West.</p> <p>According to the state-run Anadolu news agency, out of the 97% of the votes counted, Erdogan secured 49.39% of votes while his main opponent Kilicdaroglu got 44.92% of votes, reported Reuters. Turkey's High Election Board gave Erdogan 49.49% with 91.93% of ballot boxes counted.</p> <p>Speaking to supporters in Ankara, Erdogan said he could still win but would respect the nation’s decision if the race went to a runoff vote in two weeks, according to AP.</p> <p>“We don’t yet know if the elections ended in the first round. ... If our nation has chosen for a second round, that is also welcome,” Erdogan said early Monday, noting that votes from Turkish citizens living abroad still need to be tallied. He garnered 60% of the overseas vote in 2018.</p> <p class="text__text__1FZLe text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr text__large__nEccO body__full_width__ekUdw body__large_body__FV5_X article-body__element__2p5pI" data-testid="paragraph-3">Kilicdaroglu, who said he would prevail in the runoff, urged his supporters to be patient and accused Erdogan's party of interfering with the counting and reporting of results.</p> <p class="text__text__1FZLe text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr text__large__nEccO body__full_width__ekUdw body__large_body__FV5_X article-body__element__2p5pI" data-testid="paragraph-3">According to Reuters, opinion polls before the election had pointed to a very tight race but gave Kilicdaroglu, who heads a six-party alliance, a slight lead. Two polls on Friday even showed him above the 50% threshold.</p> <p class="text__text__1FZLe text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr text__large__nEccO body__full_width__ekUdw body__large_body__FV5_X article-body__element__2p5pI" data-testid="paragraph-9">"Erdogan will have an advantage in a second vote after his alliance did far better than the opposition's alliance," said Hakan Akbas, managing director of political advisory Strategic Advisory Services.</p> <p class="text__text__1FZLe text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr text__large__nEccO body__full_width__ekUdw body__large_body__FV5_X article-body__element__2p5pI" data-testid="paragraph-10">A third nationalist presidential candidate, Sinan Ogan, stood at 5.3% of the vote. He could be a "kingmaker" in the runoff depending on which candidate he endorses, analysts said.</p>
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