Turkey: Erdogan trying to avoid runoff
[AP]
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could be forced into a runoff if he fails to win an outright majority in Sunday’s presidential election.
With more than 9 out of 10 electoral precincts reporting (91.10%), Erdogan was barely holding to an outright majority (50.01%), versus 44.21% for his main opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Sinan Ogan, a far-right nationalist, is at 5.3%.
Erdogan has led throughout the night, but his once considerable lead has been steadily eroded, as results from big western cities, especially Istanbul, are coming in.
In the last residential election, on June 24, 2018, Erdogan had been elected in the first round, with 52.59%. His closest opponent, Muharrem Ince, got 30.64%.
