And the American media is spinning. The US administration does not want this to occur. No image of Erdogan is presented despite the headline.
The Economist is lamenting the US backed oppositions failure to live up to their polling. Or steal the election? Which was part of the out of touch polling. That’s my opinion. Despite the fact the US tried so hard to intervene.
Mr Kilicdaroglu became the first politician ever to force Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey for over 20 years, into a runoff. ( I’m not certain about that) But he performed well below his own expectations. The leader of the centre-left Republican People’s Party (CHP) took 44.9% of the vote, much less than pollsters had given him on the eve of the elections, compared to 49.5% for Mr Erdogan. Mr Kilicdaroglu had hoped to win a majority and avoid a second round. Instead, he barely avoided a first-round defeat
Mr Kilicdaroglu also suggested that, unlike Mr Erdogan, who approved secret talks with insurgents from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) over a decade ago, he would never sit down with “terrorists”.
That’s a laugh from Kilicdaroglu considering the party make up his coalition.
Mr Kilicdaroglu would have no chance of winning the presidency without the backing of Turkey’s main Kurdish party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), and its 5m voters.
The HDP has long been affiliated with the PKK. The PKK has terrorized Turks for decades. Including non compliant Kurds
Nationalism has always been part of Turkey’s political culture. But what this year’s elections show is that the country’s nationalists, although spread across several parties, are kingmakers as much as the Kurds are. Unless Mr Kilicdaroglu’s 11th-hour election pitch has somehow persuaded millions of them to do otherwise, they will crown Mr Erdogan again.■
Erdogan is favoured to win and the Economist is bemoaning that fact while throwing shade on the Turkish people for being Turks.
Here’s an article from Reuters- admitting Erdogan is going to win, yet, featuring a picture of the shady Istanbul mayor.
Erdogan has been one savvy political leader- Love him or hate him, one has to admire his ability to navigate troubled waters. That said, his win guarantees more American interference. The Turkish people and their leadership had better be prepared.