Oğan says he will decide for the polls in a few days

ANKARA

Sinan Oğan from the Ata Alliance who has received five percent of votes in the first round of the presidential elections says he will make his decision on who to support in the run-off vote in a few days.

According to the results of the first-round polls, incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the joint candidate of the Nation Alliance, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu will compete for the presidency on May 28.

In a televised interview late on May 16, Oğan listed his four expectations from the two contenders to get his backing.

“Uninterrupted struggle against all sorts of terror organizations, including the PKK, FETO and Hezbollah. This is indispensable for us. Sending the refugees in a certain timetable. Keeping the HDP [Peoples’ Democratic Party] and Hüda-Par [Free Cause Party] out of the government. Guaranteeing that the first four articles and article 66 of the constitution will never be amended,” he said.

The first four articles define the characteristics of the Republic of Türkiye as a secular state while the article 66 outlines the Turkish citizenship. On a question if both candidates agree with his conditions, Oğan said they will make their decision through internal deliberations.

“But,” he said, “We have almost convergence [on who to support].”

Oğan underlined that the oppositional Nation Alliance needs more dynamism to win the polls but his inclusion will surely pledge impetus to the oppositional candidate Kılıçdaroğlu. “On the other hand, in case of our support, the People Alliance will reach to an ultimate majority. It will help them to form a strong government. And that means strong Türkiye,” he stated.

“Our objective was to make the nationalists the key party instead of the HDP and Hüda-Par. We have achieved this. The Turkish nationalists became the kingmaker,” he stated.