Turkey heads for runoff election as candidates fail to secure 50% votes

• Presidential vote to enter the second round.
• Erdogan secures 49.5% votes, Kilicdaroglu 44.9 %.
• Voter turnout hits a record high at 88.9%.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan was on the lead Monday as the results of the presidential election show however, he has been able to secure less than the votes required to be the president — 50%.

The presidential vote will now enter into its second round — also called a run-off — which is to take place on May 28. A run-off vote occurs when no presidential candidates secure more than half of the votes.

Erdogan’s competitor Kemal Kilicdarolgu is expected to speed up his election campaign in the next two weeks as the incumbent president is endeavouring to secure another term in office.

The 69-year-old president secured support from the regions hit by the deadly earthquake killing more than 50,000 people.

President Erdogan's opponent encountered a harsh reality check despite a rigorous campaign Monday that they could not beat Erdogan.

"Don’t despair," Kilicdaroglu told his supporters. "We will stand up and take this election together."

As per an AFP report, Erdogan secured 49.5% of the vote and Kilicdaroglu 44.9 %. Another presidential candidate from the nationalist camp Sinan Ogan had 5.2%.

The voter turnout hit a record high at 88.9%.

The long-time Turkish president’s AK Party with his allied partners appear to secure a majority in the new parliament with 321 of the 600 seats, enhancing his chances to win in the run-off.

Erdogan said in a speech to cheering supporters at the AKP headquarters in the capital Ankara overnight: "The winner has undoubtedly been our country."

The nationalist Ogan — backed by 2.8 million voters — will emerge as a deal-maker for Erdogan’s major competitor Kilicdaroglu if the latter is to defeat the former.

Leader of the six-party-alliance Kilicdaroglu vowed to prevail in the runoff and alleged Erdogan's AK party of election interference and results.

Strong Leader

Contrary to the Kilicdaroglu supporters who were less energetic, Erdogan supporters were jubilant as the results filtered out, with cyber security engineer Feyyaz Balcu, 23, confident that Erdogan could fix Turkey's economic problems which caused inflation to sky-rocket and eroded the purchasing power of the people.

He said: "It is very important for all Turkish people that Erdogan wins the elections. He is a world leader and all the Turks and Muslims want Erdogan as president."

Teneo co-president Wolfango Piccoli said: "Erdogan has now a clear psychological lead against the opposition."

"Erdogan will likely double down on his national security-focused narratives over the next two weeks."

The elections in NATO country are being closely observed in Europe, the US, and Russia, among other states where Tayyip Erdogan has asserted Turkish power while bolstering relations with Moscow putting stress on Ankara's traditional alliance with the United States.

Erdogan is one of President Vladimir Putin's main allies and his strong showing is likely to encourage the Kremlin but unnerve the Joe Biden administration, as well as many European and Middle Eastern leaders who had troubled relations with Erdogan.

The Kremlin said Monday it expected Russia's cooperation with Turkey to continue and deepen whoever wins the election.