Erdoğan says he is confident of getting more support in May 28 polls

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has expressed on May 16 that he is confident of having more votes in the presidential runoff on May 28.

“May 28 will be very, very different. This will be a signal. I think we will wake up on May 29 very differently. I believe we will get a lot of votes,” Erdoğan said in a televised interview with CNN Turk and Kanal D.

Türkiye needs a political establishment compatible with both the executive and the legislature for an efficient administration, he said stressing the importance of having upper the hand of one alliance in both bodies.

“It is a fact that if such a healthy structure does not emerge in the parliament, there will of course be problems here. Because the harmony and solidarity of the legislative and executive authorities will have very, very serious positive results for the future of the country,” Erdoğan stated.

“Working in harmony between the executive and the legislature always serves the development of the country. While changing the government system, we actually ensured that the presidential and parliamentary elections were held at the same time. The aim of this was the renewal of the parliament that would work together with the president to be elected. Two words are very, very important here, ‘stability’ and ‘trust,’” he said.

President Erdoğan said he does not plan to hold rallies for the second round of presidential elections but will hold rally-like meetings in the earthquake-hit provinces.

“I would like to thank my citizens for the record participation. We had a great democracy festival befitting Türkiye. It could be unique in the world. The turnout was around 90 percent,” he said, adding that he expects high turnout in the second round as well.

“The will manifested in the ballot box is sacred,” he stated.

Emphasizing that they immediately started working as an alliance for May 28, President Erdoğan said he had meetings with all the leaders of the People’s Alliance, and they would make good use of the time till May 28.

Pointing out that earthquake victims are being “insulted” for the elections, Erdoğan said: “Of course, this is very, very wrong, very ugly. I hope we will be in the region this weekend, Saturday, Sunday.”

The president said he would form a strong cabinet in the new period while eliminating the current shortcomings.

“Our organization’s presidency met today. They are working. Where and what kind of deficiencies happened, we need to make preparations for the coming period, especially local elections, by eliminating these deficiencies. We will do our internal accounting and take the necessary steps,” he stated.

Erdoğan emphasized that he would maintain contact with all leaders around the world in line with Türkiye’s interests.

“We do not have such a thing as pulling a country and pushing a country away. There is no question of defying Russia as the CHP did. There is no leader that I am offended by. I am negotiating with all of them. When you throw a country aside, you lose,” Erdoğan said.

Asked about the messages taken from the poll results, he said, “My nation never wants to see an election hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder with terrorist organizations.”

“Imagine they are threatening the earthquake zone. They insult people who did not vote for them, especially our earthquake victims. In addition, they instill pessimism and hopelessness in our youth,” Erdoğan stated.

Stating that the opposition must understand that they “can no longer win the election by suppressing their opponents and cooperating with the extensions of the terrorist organization,” Erdoğan said: “This cannot and will not work with a terrorist organization, with instructions from Qandil. This nation does not vote for a terrorist organization. This nation serves itself. He gives the game to those who will.”

Erdoğan says he has confidence for support of young voters in runoff

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said on May 17 that he was confident in the support of young voters in the May 28 runoff polls.

In his social media account, Erdoğan thanked young voters for May 14 polls and said, “I would like to thank each one of you for standing up for your will on May 14, freely reflecting your choices at the ballot boxes, and supporting our democracy.”

“With your attitude, which sets an example for the youth of the world, you once again showed how right our nation is in trusting you,” he said, and urged them not to “allow anyone to come between them and their dreams, to intimidate them, to scare them, or to inject their poison into them.”

“Never let personalities with high egos and a history of failures and electoral defeats drag you into their abysmal darkness. We will solve our problems together; we will overcome difficulties together. We will share our sorrows and rejoice in our successes together,” Erdoğan stated.

Grain initiative prolonged for two months: Erdoğan

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that the grain initiative that stipulates the export of Ukrainian and Russian wheat and other food products to the world markets has been extended for another two months.

“I want to share good news with the world. As a result of our efforts and the contributions of our Russian and Ukrainian friends, the grain initiative has been prolonged for two months,” Erdoğan said in an online address to his Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials late on May 17 in Ankara.

The statement came just a day before the initiative would have expired because of the objections tabled by Russia.

Türkiye and the United Nations brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 for the resumption of wheat and other food products exports to the world market to avoid a global food crisis. Both countries are the world’s largest wheat producers, but the Russia occupation of Ukraine in February 2022 had stalled the export through the Black Sea.

Russia agreed to extend the initiative in March for only two months. It complained that its exports could not be started because the secondary sanctions on the shipment, banking and insurance sectors.

“We will continue our efforts for the continuation of the agreement by implementing all its items,” he said.

Erdoğan also stressed that Moscow guaranteed that the Turkish ships stranded in the Ukrainian ports will be able to sail back to Türkiye without any problem. The Turkish president reiterated his expectation for a truce, and then a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

He also thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelensky and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres for their sincere contribution to the prolongation of the grain deal.