Turkey’s longtime leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan is heading for the first presidential election in his career after falling short of the 50 percent needed to win in national elections on Sunday.
Candidate
initial share
Source: Anadolu Agency (unofficial result).
The provinces which include Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey’s two largest cities, voted for Kemal Kilikdaroglu after voting for Mr Erdogan in 2018.
The country’s rich coastal region voted in favor of the opposition, as it has done in the past.
Turkey’s Kurdish population, which mostly lives in the southeast, voted overwhelmingly in support of the opposition.
Central Turkey, a bastion for Mr Erdogan, voted mostly in favor of the president.
Source: Anadolu Agency (unofficial election results), WorldPop (population density).
Note: Not all results are reported. Some results may change.
Mr Erdogan still had the most votes of any candidate, including opposition leader Kemal KilikdarogluBy Monday, the opposition was troubling supporters who were hoping for a swift victory.
Mr Erdogan appeared to have the edge as he headed towards a runoff on May 28. Analysts say right-wing supporters of a third candidate, Sinan Ogan, are more likely to vote for Mr Erdogan, leading to his surge. chances of winning.
Still, compared with the most recent presidential election in 2018, almost every part of the country shifted against Mr Erdogan, according to preliminary results from Anadolu Agency, a state news organisation.
2023 Erdogan vote share compared to 2018
low erdogan vote share
high erdogan vote share
In the areas most affected by the earthquake in February, most of the province moved away from Mr. Erdogan.
Mr Erdogan was ahead in most of his traditional stronghold of central Turkish province, but lost many votes there compared to 2018.
Source: Anadolu Agency (unofficial election results), US Geological Survey (earthquakes).
Some of the sharpest rebuke came from provinces around Turkey’s two biggest cities, Istanbul and Ankara, where Mr Erdogan won in 2018 but was behind on Monday, and from regions of central Turkey that have traditionally seen Mr Erdogan as the main candidate. Provided support. Mr Erdogan was still well ahead in most provinces there, but lost votes compared to 2018.
Voters in the areas most affected by the earthquake also turned away from Mr. Erdogan. voters there told the times They were voting for Mr Kilicdaroglu because of the government’s handling of the earthquake response as well as the economy.
The changes were more muted in areas where opposition politicians have generally performed well, along the Mediterranean coast in the west and Turkey’s southeast, home to the majority of the Kurdish population.
Presidential election results year by year
Candidates need 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff election.
Source: Supreme Election Council, Anadolu Agency (unofficial election results).
Note: 2023 results are preliminary. The graphic includes all candidates who received at least 5 percent of the vote.
the vote was many ways referendum on performance Mr. Erdogan, Türkiye’s leading politician for 20 years.