Sinan Ogan endorses Erdogan ahead of run-off round
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Sinan Ogan, a far-right politician third in the running for Turkey’s presidency, has endorsed the incumbent, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for the run-off vote set to be held on May 28.
In the May 14 presidential elections, Erdogan received 49.5 percent of the vote, while his main opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, received 44.9 percent. Ogan courted only 5,2 percent of voters. However, he denied both candidates an outright majority.
The two leading candidates had vied for Ogan’s support, meeting with the nationalist politician last week. Ogan had made any official endorsement dependent on two issues: the deportation of the roughly 4 million Syrian refugees living in Turkey and the fight against “terrorism,” referring to both the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as well as the organization of Fetullah Gulen, an exiled clerical leader.
For Kilicdaroglu, in particular, Ogan’s support would have been essential, as he underperformed in the May 14 election. Despite having courted the Kurdish vote and espoused a more liberal vision for Turkey’s presidency, he has since adopted a more jingoistic rhetoric, focusing on the issues of anti-terrorism and the deportation of Syrians.
“Those who love their country should come to the ballot box before the fugitives who enter the country completely darken the lives of our girls,” he reportedly said about Syrians.
However, at a televised event today, Ogan declared his support for Erdogan, citing “stability” in making his decision. “It is important for the country’s stability that the majority of the parliament and the president are from the same alliance,” he told an audience, before leaving the event without allowing any time for questions.
At the general elections, held in tandem with the presidential elections, Erdogan’s ruling coalition received 323 seats in parliament, a majority, while the main opposition alliance received 212. The Kurdish-led coalition was allocated 65 seats.
Following Ogan’s remarks, Kilicdaroglu reportedly said, “It is clear who is siding with this beautiful country and who is siding with those who sold out this beautiful country.”