Kılıçdaroğlu hopeful over runoff victory for presidency

ANKARA

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the chairman of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the joint presidential candidate of the Nation Alliance, has expressed his confidence that he will win the presidency in the second round of the elections slated to take place on May 28.

According to the results announced by the Supreme Election Board (YSK) on early May 15, Kılıçdaroğlu garnered 44.9 percent of votes while incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan received 49.4 percent. If this picture does not change after all the votes are counted and registered officially by the YSK, the next president will be elected in the runoff polls on May 28.

“It is relieving to see the turnout close to 90 percent and the elections took place in full maturity. Erdoğan could not get the result he wanted despite all his slanders,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, criticizing the president’s statement that he is the winner of the polls.

He made this statement immediately after Erdoğan addressed his party fellows in front of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) headquarters. Kılıçdaroğlu was accompanied by the leaders of the political parties making the Nation Alliance. Istanbul and Ankara mayors Ekrem İmamoğlu and Mansur Yavaş were also present at the meeting.

The CHP leader urged his rival not to attempt a fait accompli. “If our people says that we have to go to the second round, that’s alright. We will absolutely win these polls. Everyone will see this,” he stated.

“Erdoğan failed to get the confidence vote from the people. The call for change has come from more than 50 percent of the people.”

In the meantime, CHP Deputy Chairman Muharrem Erkek underlined that the vote counting process was still ongoing in the early hours of May 15.

“Our lawmakers and balloting committees are doing their duties. We, as the CHP and the Nation Alliance, will be on duty until the election results will be finalized,” he said.

Later, Erkek and two other high-level CHP officials, Engin Özkoç and Bülent Tezcan, paid a visit to the YSK to follow the vote counting and registration process.