Turkey's Future at Stake as High Voter Turnout Marks Pivotal Election
The people of Turkey have cast
their votes in a historic election that could determine the country's future
and potentially end President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's 20-year rule. The
elections involved voters selecting their preference for president and parliament,
and the polling stations closed at 5 pm local time after experiencing a high
voter turnout.
Long lines have been reported in
the major cities, and those who were already waiting in line before the
deadline were permitted to vote. However, Turkish law prohibits the
announcement of results until 9 pm (18:00 GMT), although that time has been
changed in the past.
The main challenger to Erdogan,
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who leads a six-party alliance, has a slight lead over the
president in recent opinion polls. Two surveys conducted on Friday indicated
that Kilicdaroglu had crossed the 50 percent threshold required to win
outright. If no candidate gains more than 50 percent of the votes, a runoff
will be held on May 28.
The presidential vote would not
only determine who governs Turkey, an 85 million NATO-member country, but also
how it is governed, the direction of its economy amid a severe cost-of-living
crisis, and its foreign policy.
Erdogan has led the country
through one of its most divisive and trans-formative periods in its 100-year
history. Turkey has become a military and geopolitical heavyweight that is
involved in conflicts from Syria to Ukraine. As a result, the election's
outcome is critical for Washington, Brussels, Damascus, and Moscow.
After the presidential and
parliamentary elections, Turkey could enter a post-Erdogan era that may result
in foreign policy changes. Erdogan still enjoys popularity in certain areas of
the country that have witnessed rapid development during his reign. Religious voters
are grateful for his decision to lift secular-era restrictions on headscarves
and other religious matters.
However, Kemal Kilicdaroglu's
emergence and his six-party alliance provide Turkish voters and foreign allies
with a clear alternative. Polls indicate that the 74-year-old secular
opposition leader is close to breaking the 50 percent threshold required to win
in the first round.
A May 28 runoff could provide
Erdogan with an opportunity to re-frame the debate and regroup. Nevertheless, he
would be burdened with Turkey's worst economic crisis during his time in power
and unease over his government's lacklustre response to earthquakes in February
that claimed more than 50,000 lives.
