How Western media reacted to the results of the elections in Turkey

On May 14, presidential elections were held in Turkey. The official turnout reached a record 88.9%, but none of the three candidates passed the 50% mark needed to win in the first round.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president and leader of the ruling moderately Islamist Justice Party, won 49.51% against Republican nominee Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s 44.88%. The nationalist candidate, Sinan Ogan, won 5.17% of the vote.

It is for his voters that a hard struggle will begin in the second round. It will take place on May 28th.

“Erdogan’s fate will have serious consequences not only for democracy in his country, which he worked to weaken, but also for US foreign policy. Although Turkey is a NATO ally, Erdogan has often irritated Washington, for example by flirting with Russia and suggesting a rapprochement with Syria.

His courtesy to his colleague, strong Russian President Vladimir Putin, irritated the US as they seek to preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

Stephen Collinson, CNN

‘European leaders would love to have a ‘lighter Turkey’ [без Эрдогана]and Russia could lose an important economic and diplomatic partnership if the Turkish leader loses power.”

Stephen Erlanger, Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times

“A victory for Erdogan, one of President Vladimir Putin’s most important allies, is likely to cheer the Kremlin, but upset the Biden administration, as well as many European and Middle Eastern leaders who have had a difficult relationship with Erdogan.”

Orkhan Koskun, Ece Toksabay and Ali Kuchukgokmen, Reuters

“Even if Kilicdaroglu wins [во втором туре]Turkey’s policy toward Ukraine and Russia is likely to continue, said James Jeffrey, former ambassador to Iraq and Turkey and chairman of the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program.

“Putin likes to deal with leaders he sees as strong and predictable. <...>. I don’t think Putin thinks that Kılıçdaroğlu will be tougher on him than Erdoğan. But Putin loves to deal with people he knows and thinks like him,” Jeffrey said.

Fatma Khaled, Newsweek

“The second round will be the first under the current electoral system and assumes that it will include a more fragmented electorate than in 2018, when Erdogan won outright in the first round. It was the first vote under Erdogan’s new executive presidency that expanded his powers and that critics say undermined Turkish democracy.

“Our nation has made a decision,” Erdogan said in a speech from the balcony of his party’s headquarters in Ankara before the result was made official. His alliance retained a majority in Turkey’s parliament, which Erdogan said would help him win re-election in a second round of voting.

His main rival called the election results a sign of the incumbent’s weakness. “If our nation is talking about the second round, we respect it,” said Kılıçdaroğlu. “Erdogan failed to achieve the desired results.”

Firat Kozok, Beryl Akman, Selkan Khacaoglu, Bloomberg

“The president is likely to use his high approval rating, unexpected victory in parliament and the advantages of his position to secure re-election [во втором туре]”, – said Emre Peker from the consulting company Eurasia Group.

The strong performance of the AKP and its allies in parliamentary polls showed that “identity, terrorism and security issues have played well with Erdogan’s broader base and helped the president make up for his economic shortcomings,” he added.

At the same time, Kurdish voters’ support for the Kılıçdaroğlu alliance means it is unlikely that many of Ogan’s supporters will change their allegiance. This will make things difficult for the opposition candidate. [Кылычдароглу]Pecker said.

John Henley, The Guardian

“The elections are being watched very closely in the West because candidate Kılıçdaroğlu promised to revive Turkish democracy as well as relations with its NATO allies. On the other hand, President Erdogan’s Islamist government has accused the West of conspiring to overthrow him, and Turkey’s EU candidacy has long been frozen. Kılıçdaroğlu, 74, lost elections as leader of his Republican People’s Party several times, but this time his call to abandon the president’s excessive powers resonated.”

Paul Kirby, BBC News

“The outcome of Sunday’s vote could have global implications as this NATO member under Erdogan has become a military heavyweight whose influence extends from countries like Syria to Russia.”

Natalia Vasilyeva, The Telegraph