The primary spherical of Turkey’s key presidential elections noticed a 3rd nationalist candidate and his alliance doubtlessly emerge as a figuring out pressure on the destiny of the run-off vote that takes place on Sunday.
Within the Could 14 polls, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan scored 49.5 p.c of the ballots, whereas the candidate of the primary opposition alliance, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, acquired 44.8 p.c.
The third candidate, Sinan Ogan, who was a not acquainted determine to the Turkish public earlier than the polls, took 5.2 p.c within the election with the backing of the newly established ultranationalist ATA Alliance led by the Victory Celebration of Umit Ozdag, a seasoned far-right politician. The alliance secured 2.4 p.c.
With such an final result, the nationalist nominee and the alliance emerged as potential kingmakers within the aftermath of the primary spherical – till their latest fallout, that’s.
Analysts say a few of their votes got here from the backers of a fourth candidate, Muharrem Ince, who withdrew from the race days earlier than the primary spherical, in addition to some youthful individuals who dislike each Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu.
Mesut Yegen, a professor of sociology at Istanbul’s Sehir College, mentioned there’s a voter bloc that wishes to see neither predominant contender as president and is unimpressed with the mainstream political events in Turkey immediately.
“A lot of them have secular sensitivities and, subsequently, they’re towards the religion-based conservative politics Erdogan and his Folks’s Alliance pursue,” Yegen informed Al Jazeera.
He added this group can be disturbed by the pro-Kurdish Folks’s Democratic Celebration’s support for Kilicdaroglu and cooperation between the 2 sides.
Ogan, a tutorial of worldwide relations, entered parliament in 2011 with the Nationalist Motion Celebration (MHP) – the closest ally of Erdogan and his get together immediately – earlier than launching an unsuccessful bid for its management in 2015, after which he was expelled.
He had been away from politics since then till he was named a presidential candidate by way of a deal he reached with Ozdag.
In the meantime, Ozdag, a professor of worldwide relations, is a former deputy chief of the MHP who later took the identical place within the IYI Celebration, which is in Kilicdaroglu’s alliance, earlier than being expelled and establishing the Victory Celebration in 2021.
The get together has grown public assist utilizing ultranationalist rhetoric in a rustic hit arduous by its worst financial disaster in many years, and embracing anti-refugee sentiment quickly spreading amongst struggling Turks.
Ultranationalist platform
In response to Etyen Mahcupyan, a political analyst and author, Ogan was with out a important voter base earlier than the polls, and if he didn’t agree with Ozdag on his candidacy, the latter would have discovered one other contender to aspect with.
“The title of Ogan may imply one thing solely to individuals in slim nationalistic political and tutorial circles, however Ozdag and the Victory Celebration have truly established a voter base,” Mahcupyan informed Al Jazeera.
Ogan and Ozdag’s election marketing campaign platform was strongly against Erdogan and his Justice and Growth Celebration (AK Celebration).
Their agenda revolved round a promise to ship thousands and thousands of refugees within the nation again to their homelands and used harsh language in direction of “terror” teams – in addition to, what they allege, are corruption and nepotism within the authorities.
Nonetheless, in an surprising twist on Could 22, Ogan endorsed Erdogan within the run-off vote, which led to the tip of the ATA Alliance the identical day.
Ogan informed a televised information convention that “stability” performed a big position in making his resolution, noting Erdogan’s alliance secured a parliamentary majority within the polls on Could 14. The politician didn’t reveal any potential guarantees made by Erdogan for siding with him.
“It is vital for stability of the nation that almost all of the parliament and the president are from the identical alliance,” Ogan said, asking individuals who voted for him to assist the incumbent within the second spherical.
Ozdag disagreed and mentioned Ogan’s stance was his personal. Two days later, Ozdag threw his weight behind Kilicdaroglu in a joint press convention after the 2 politicians signed a memorandum of understanding.
The deal consists of robust statements on the repatriation of refugees in Turkey inside a 12 months, the battle towards corruption, nepotism and “terror”, in addition to safety of the unitary nature of the Turkish state.
Totally different paths
Mahcupyan mentioned the ATA Alliance, which existed a mere two months, might have performed a key position within the vote however particular person agendas led to its downfall.
“Ogan seems to be like he thought of his personal particular person profession with out worrying about any future voter assist whereas deciding, aiming to return to the MHP and proceed politics there. Maybe he sees himself as the subsequent chief of the get together,” he mentioned.
“Nonetheless, the Victory Celebration has grown its organisation and gathered a voter base as an opposition get together,” the analyst continued.
“Umit Ozdag has targets for his get together and needs it to remain afloat after the polls so he has to face with the opposition, in the identical line the get together has established itself up till immediately.”
The large query a day earlier than the important thing vote is what impact this division within the potential “kingmaker” coalition could have on the end result of the run-off.
Yegen mentioned the overwhelming majority of the Zafer Celebration voters will again Kilicdaroglu following the deal between himself and Ozdag, and after the primary opposition candidate adopted a stance interesting to them over the past two weeks.
He added the remainder of Ogan’s voters could reply in three other ways within the second spherical. “Some will lean in direction of Erdogan, others will transfer within the route of Kilicdaroglu, whereas the remaining is not going to go to the poll field,” mentioned Yegen.
Mahcupyan famous most of these voting for Ogan don’t have any emotional connection to him. “They voted for him as a result of they wished a 3rd path separate from the opposite two candidates,” he mentioned.
