Turkey’s presidential election has resulted in a runoff between the sitting president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Sinan Ogan, the far-right candidate who came in third in the vote, has become a sought-after figure as his supporters may play a role in deciding the runoff. He has been fielding calls from cabinet members, opposition leaders, and even the office of President Erdogan, all wanting his help in wooing his critical swing voters. Ogan has demands in exchange for throwing his support to a candidate, all of them aimed at promoting nationalist causes. He wants a scheduled plan to deport the refugees from many countries, including Syria and Afghanistan, and a very senior post in the new administration to see his demands through. The opposition camp, overlapping with the far right on some issues, could step up efforts to sway nationalist voters before the runoff. It remains to be seen which candidate Ogan will endorse and how his supporters will vote in the runoff.
Categories