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☆ What the voters say as Turkey votes in landmark elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Deniz Uyar | Oriana Boselli | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

ISTANBUL/ANTAKYA, Turkey, May 14 (Reuters) - Here are some views from Turkish citizens as their country voted on Sunday in elections that could extend President Tayyip Erdogan's rule into a third decade or see a transfer of power to his main rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu. I don't think it will go to a runoff," said school staff member Hasibe, 40, in the school where Erdogan voted on the Asian side of the city. I chose democracy and I hope that my country chooses democracy. "Of course, there are good things (Erdogan) did, but lately, they started to look down on and insult the nation. As you can see, even in elections, votes are being cast in ballot boxes outside," said school teacher Behzat Oz.

☆ Turkey faces runoff election for president
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsTurkey faces runoff election for presidentPostedTurkey appeared headed for a runoff presidential election, with the parties of both Tayyip Erdogan and opposition rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu both claiming the lead but sources in both camps admitting they may not clear the 50% threshold to win outright. Tamara Lindstrom produced this report.

☆ Turkey's lira slides, credit default swaps spike after election
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It was on track for its worst trading session since early November. The five-year Turkey credit default swap spread TRGV5YUSAC=MG jumped 105 basis points (bps) from Friday's levels to 597 bps, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the highest since November 2022. Analysts expect the lira to slump in the wake of the elections following years of economic imbalances and unorthodox monetary policy. JPMorgan (JPM.N) forecast the lira could soften to levels of 24-25 to the dollar. The lira, which is prone to sharp swings before regular trading hours, has weakened 5% since the start of the year.

He said he came back to Antakya, the hardest hit city in the earthquake zone, with eight of his family members. They drove by car for about four hours from another southern province to vote. They cited not only the government’s response to the earthquake, but its handling of the economy in recent years, when inflation has surged. They said it was depressing to return to the earthquake zone and see that the government had only removed rubble, but taken no other discernible actions to pave the way for residents to return. That is a substantial share of the nearly nine million eligible voters in the 11 quake-affected provinces of southern Turkey.

☆ Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu cast votes in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsErdogan and Kilicdaroglu cast votes in TurkeyPostedTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan and opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu cast their votes in Turkey’s landmark elections on Sunday (May 14).

Long stuck in the shadow of Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party (AKP), opposition leader Kilicdaroglu has flourished on the campaign trail with polls showing he has a slight lead. Kilicdaroglu said a fundamental problem of Turkey's foreign policy during the tenure of Erdogan's AKP was the exclusion of the foreign ministry in the policy making process. 'PEACE-ORIENTED FOREIGN POLICY'"We would pursue a peace-oriented foreign policy that prioritises Turkey's national interest. Before entering politics, Kilicdaroglu worked in the finance ministry and then chaired Turkey's Social Insurance Institution for most of the 1990s. A year after losing a mayoral run in Istanbul, he was elected unopposed as party leader in 2010.

His main opponent is CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who represents an election coalition of six opposition parties. For the first time, Turkey’s factious opposition has coalesced around a single candidate. When a vicious earthquake on February 6 laid waste to large parts of southeast Turkey, Erdogan’s battled political aftershocks. More than 1.8 million voters living abroad already cast their votes on April 17, Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported Wednesday, citing the country’s deputy foreign minister. The Supreme Election Council (YSK) chief Ahmet Yener said last month that at least 1 million voters in quake-stricken zones are expected not to vote this year amid displacement.

☆ Turkey election rivals both claim early lead, but runoff is likely
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attend a rally ahead of the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections, in Istanbul, Turkey May 12, 2023. Turkey appears headed for a presidential election runoff, with the parties of Tayyip Erdogan and opposition rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu claiming the lead. Early results put Erdogan comfortably ahead, but as the count continued his advantage eroded, with a runoff on May 28 beckoning. Ankara's opposition mayor Mansur Yavas said a count by his party suggested Kilicdaroglu was ahead with 47.42%, while Erdogan had 46.48%. His government's slow response to a devastating earthquake in southeast Turkey that killed 50,000 people added to voters' dismay.

☆ Russia rejects accusations it interfered in Turkey elections -news agencies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 13 (Reuters) - Russia rejects accusations by a Turkish opposition leader that Moscow interfered in the country's presidential election, domestic news agencies cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Saturday. Russia has been accused in the past of meddling in foreign polls, including in U.S. elections, which it denies. "We categorically do not accept the accusations of interference in the Turkish elections. Under Erdogan, Turkey has conducted a diplomatic balancing act since Russia invaded Ukraine. Ankara opposes Western sanctions on Russia and has close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, its Black Sea neighbours.

☆ On final day of campaign, Erdogan accuses Turkish opposition of working with Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Ali Kucukgocmen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Polls show Erdogan trailing the main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu a day ahead of one of the most consequential elections in Turkey's modern history. Erdogan also criticised Kilicdaroglu for his comments on Russia, calling Moscow an important partner for Turkey. [1/3] Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan holds a present for supporters ahead of the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections, in Istanbul, Turkey May 13, 2023. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez 1 2 3Turkey's Western allies have been irked by closer ties between Ankara and Moscow under Erdogan. Kilicdaroglu is a "separatist," Erdogan later said in Kasimpasa, an AK Party stronghold where he grew up.

☆ Turkey votes in pivotal elections that could end Erdogan's 20-year rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The election takes place three months after earthquakes in southeast Turkey killed more than 50,000 people. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is not part of the main opposition alliance but fiercely opposes Erdogan after a crackdown on its members in recent years. Kilicdaroglu, a 74-year-old former civil servant, promises that if he wins he will return to orthodox economic policies from Erdogan's heavy management. Human Rights Watch, in its World Report 2022, said Erdogan's government has set back Turkey's human rights record by decades. If he wins, Kilicdaroglu faces challenges keeping united an opposition alliance that includes nationalists, Islamists, secularists and liberals.

☆ Erdogan's opponent Kilicdaroglu holds final rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Reuters Editorial | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

PoliticsErdogan's opponent Kilicdaroglu holds final rallyPostedKemal Kilicdaroglu, main challenger of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, held his final rally in Ankara on Friday (May 12) two days before a landmark presidential election in Turkey.

☆ Factbox: Turkey elections 2023: what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The powers of the presidency were broadened in 2017 when a referendum narrowly approved switching Turkey from a parliamentary to a presidential system. By late on Sunday there could be a clear indication of the presidential election result. KEMAL KILICDAROGLUKilicdaroglu is the joint presidential candidate of the six-party main opposition alliance. He is chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP), which was established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - the founder of modern Turkey. The HDP's cooperation with the opposition in the 2019 local elections helped defeat the AKP in major cities.

☆ The Turkey candidates for president and other key figures
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Only three candidates remain in the race for president after Muharrem Ince, representing a small party, withdrew. CHP LEADER KEMAL KILICDAROGLUKilicdaroglu, 74, head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), was named the six-party opposition alliance's presidential candidate in March. Previously a staunch opponent of Erdogan, Bahceli's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) began to work with the president and his AKP after a 2016 attempted coup. OPPOSITION FIGURES:IYI PARTY LEADER MERAL AKSENERFormer interior minister Meral Aksener, 66, leads the second-largest party in the opposition alliance, the centrist and nationalist IYI Party. ANKARA MAYOR MANSUR YAVASNationalist politician and lawyer Mansur Yavas, 67, defeated the AKP's Ankara mayoral candidate 2019 as the CHP candidate backed by an opposition alliance.

☆ Erdogan challenger Kilicdaroglu wears bulletproof vest before vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, May 12 (Reuters) - Kemal Kilicdaroglu, main challenger of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, wore a bulletproof vest at an election rally on Friday, two days before a presidential election and in response to what a party source said was intelligence that he could be attacked. Footage also showed Kilicdaroglu's security detail carried assault rifles and were on the stage with him as he delivered his speech, the first time such protection was apparent during his election campaign. A source from Kilicdaroglu's Republican People's Party (CHP) said the 74-year-old main opposition leader wore the vest and security was ramped up after receiving "intelligence that he could be attacked". Kilicdaroglu, who has a narrow lead over Erdogan in the polls, was delivering a speech in the Black Sea city of Samsun. Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever Writing by Ece Toksabay Editing by Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Turkey’s President Amassed Power. He Could Still Lose This Election.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Ben Hubbard | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ISTANBUL, Turkey — As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey approaches the toughest election of his career on Sunday, he has marshaled many of the resources of the state to tilt the playing field to his advantage. His challenger barely appears on the state broadcaster while Mr. Erdogan’s speeches are aired in full. And this weekend’s vote will be overseen by an election board that, during recent votes, has made questionable calls that benefited the president. And yet, Mr. Erdogan could still lose. But Mr. Erdogan’s grip on the country could also contribute to his undoing, if voters drop him because of his strongman ways and persistently high inflation that has left Turks feeling poorer.

☆ In pictures: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won Turkey's presidential election after defeating opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff vote May 28. With the win, Erdogan, 69, extended his power into a third decade. He was elected to his first term as president in 2014 after serving as prime minister since 2003. Kilicdaroglu represented the party formed 100 years ago by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father of modern Turkey and a die-hard secularist. Turkey's election came months after a deadly earthquake rocked the country's southeast on February 6, killing more than 50,000 people there and in neighboring Syria.

☆ Erdogan's future is in doubt, but Turkey's ties to Russia and tensions with the US aren't going anywhere
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Matthew Mai | Defense Priorities | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Western observers dislike Erdogan's foreign policy, but a different leader is unlikely to change course. Critics charge that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policy is a direct outgrowth of his illiberal posture at home rather than shrewd geopolitics. Whether Erdogan or his challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, wins, the interests guiding Turkey's foreign policy will require the same balancing act that eschews alignment with any great-power bloc and maximizes Ankara's freedom of action. Locals applaud as a convoy of Turkish trucks carrying tanks near Turkey's border with Syria in October 2019. By prioritizing independence and autonomy, foreign policy under a prospective Kilicdaroglu administration will embody a significant degree of continuity from his predecessor.

One presidential candidate from a small party, Muharrem Ince, withdrew on Thursday citing a faked "character assassination" carried out online. "We find it unacceptable for another country to interfere in Turkey's election process in favour of a political party. [1/4] FILE PHOTO-Kemal Kilicdaroglu, presidential candidate of Turkey's main opposition alliance, greets his supporters during a rally ahead of the May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections, in Tekirdag, Turkey April 27, 2023. Kilicdaroglu said a fundamental problem of Turkey's foreign policy in Erdogan's AK Party (AKP) tenure was the exclusion of the foreign ministry from the policy-making process. Turkey, Kilicdaroglu said, will pursue a peace-oriented foreign policy that prioritises its national interest and acts in line with the modern world.

☆ Turkey's Erdogan faces toughest test yet in landmark election — with high stakes for the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

He came to prominence as mayor of Istanbul in the 1990s, and was celebrated in the first decade of the new millennium for transforming Turkey's economy into an emerging market powerhouse. But recent years have been far less rosy for the religiously conservative leader, whose own economic policies have triggered a cost-of-living crisis. Now, given a recent downturn in support for Erdogan, some fear he may play dirty to ensure his hold on power. The stakes are high for the entire country and, more broadly, global geopolitics – and the mood on the ground is tense. Mustafa Kamaci | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images"I'm very concerned that [Erdogan] may deploy underhanded tactics, cheating and even violence," Ibish said.

BRUSSELS, May 12 (Reuters) - Turkey's elections on Sunday are a key moment not just for the country itself but also for its European neighbours. Its internationally recognised government, composed of Greek Cypriots, is an EU member, while the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state is recognised only by Ankara. However, EU officials see little sign that Kilicdaroglu would change much on Cyprus. EU leaders designated Turkey as a candidate to join the bloc in 2004 but the talks ground to a halt years ago. There is already a lot of European money that has made its way to Turkey," said a European diplomat.

☆ Kemal Dervis, Who Eased Turkey’s Economic Crisis, Dies at 74
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Neil Genzlinger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Kemal Dervis, an economist who was instrumental in leading his native Turkey out of economic crisis early in this century, and who later became the first person to lead the United Nations Development Program from a country that had received developmental aid from the program, died on Sunday in Bethesda, Md. The Brookings Institution, where Mr. Dervis had been the director and vice president of the global economy and development program and was a nonresident distinguished fellow, confirmed his death. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency said he died of an unspecified illness. Mr. Dervis had been working in various posts for the World Bank for two decades when, in early 2001, prices in Turkey began skyrocketing and the currency, the lira, plunged in value. The meltdown was fast-moving, and Mr. Dervis, at the time a vice president of the World Bank, was seen as a savior.

☆ Even if Erdogan Loses the Election, Turkey Is in Trouble - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Cihan Tugal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Two of the opposition parties are headed by high-profile former members of the A.K.P. The other, Ahmet Davutoglu, is widely credited with its approach to foreign policy. The shift away from Mr. Babacan’s market-friendly policies was effectively enforced by a contraction in world markets a decade ago. In power, the shaky but real benefits of the A.K.P.’s ever-shifting mix and match of market-oriented and statist policies cemented these ties with the people. Without a clear alternative to the status quo, many people will stick with the political leadership they know.

Ahead of Sunday's elections, a cost of living crisis is now hitting Erdogan's support in the southeast as elsewhere, threatening his prospects in a tough battle to maintain power. A survey published this week by pollster Rawest showed 76.3% support for opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Diyarbakir province, with backing for Erdogan at just 20.5%. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), deemed a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, took up arms against the state in 1984. Those talks collapsed in 2015, unleashing a period of ferocious urban warfare in the southeast, including in the streets near Aydin's shop. CHANGE IN ERDOGANThe HDP, parliament's third largest party, has itself declared its support for Kilicdaroglu.

Turkish presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu leads the country’s largest opposition party. ISTANBUL—Turkey’s top opposition candidate for president, Kemal Kilicdaroglu , resting in a hotel suite after addressing throngs of screaming supporters, said he would steer Turkey closer to NATO and the West if he wins Sunday’s election. If Mr. Kilicdaroglu prevails, he says, he would breathe new life into Turkey’s democratic checks and balances after years in which incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan jailed political opponents and reshaped the state to become the most powerful Turkish leader in a century.

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