Erdogan entered this May’s election trailing in opinion polls, in contrast to previous elections in which he and his Islamist-leaning AK Party easily defeated their secular rivals. However, polls on May 14 showed him falling just short of an outright majority in the first round, triggering a runoff election on Sunday.
His re-election campaign has had to contend with economic issues such as painfully high inflation (currently 43%), a weak currency and the legacy of February’s devastating earthquake. The disaster killed at least 50,000 people and the government was criticized for poor construction standards and its own slow response.
However, Erdoğan’s first round of voting results on May 14 put him five points ahead of Kılıçdaroğlu, just a few hundred thousand votes short of an absolute majority.
Opposition candidates then took a more nationalist stance, promising to deport millions of Syrians and Afghans, a move that ultimately failed. Nationalist candidate Sinan Oan, who won 5% of the vote in the first round, supported Erdoğan over Kullcidaloğlu.
Political analysts say Erdogan’s victory highlights the polarization of Turkish society, particularly between Islamists and secularists. Much of Turkey’s coastal regions, large cities and the Kurdish southeast voted for Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu, while the center strongly supported Mr. Erdoğan.
Opposition supporters also say the election reflects Mr. Erdogan’s grip on power, including his near-total influence over the country’s media. The country’s media is largely controlled by groups aligned with the ruling party.
After Kılıcdaroğlu’s candidacy was backed by Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party, Erdogan used a doctored video to make his case in the final stages of the campaign and accused his rival of colluding with Kurdish terrorists.
This article has been updated to reflect the latest results and reactions.
