Officials announced on Monday that Turkey will proceed with a runoff presidential election later this month, following surprising results from the weekend polls.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emerged with an unexpected advantage over his main rival, a development that carries significant domestic and geopolitical implications, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In the initial round of voting on Sunday, Mr. Erdogan secured 49.51% of the votes, while his opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu obtained 44.88%, as confirmed by the Turkish Supreme Election Council.

However, since neither candidate reached the required 50% majority for a first-round victory, both have expressed readiness for a second round of voting scheduled for May 28.

The outcome has sparked heightened tensions within Turkey, as both camps gear up for an intense two-week campaign leading up to the country’s inaugural runoff election.

The results of this election hold considerable consequences, both within Turkey and beyond its borders.

Leveraging Turkey’s strategic location between the East and the West, President Erdogan has adeptly positioned the country in significant power rivalries, exerting influence in the Middle East, NATO, and Ukraine.

Written by staff