Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has maintained a firm grip on his country for two decades, found himself in a closely contested election on Monday.

As the final votes were being tallied, it became apparent that a make-or-break runoff against his primary challenger could potentially determine the outcome, the Associated Press reported.

The final results, whether they are announced in the coming days or after a second round of voting in two weeks, will have a significant impact on whether Turkey, a NATO ally situated between Europe and Asia and sharing borders with Syria and Iran, continues under Erdogan’s control or reverts to the more democratic path advocated by his main opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the opposition.

Addressing his supporters in Ankara, the 69-year-old Erdogan expressed confidence in his ability to secure victory, yet emphasized his willingness to accept the nation’s decision should the race go to a runoff vote in two weeks.

Written by staff