THIS CLOSE

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 20-Year Rule Hanging by a Thread

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing one of the biggest challenges to his long reign yet.

The firm rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is hanging on by a thread after a close election race that appears set for a runoff vote. Both Erdogan and opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu did not score enough votes to rule outright on Sunday, but both sides are claiming to be ahead and refusing defeat. Turkey has become increasingly authoritarian under Erdogan’s rule, while Kilicdaroglu is promising a more democratic future as the country wrestles with a cost of living crisis and its relationship with Russia and the West. AP, citing state-run news agency Anadolu figures, had Erdogan polling at 49.6% of the vote, with Kilicdaroglu slightly below at 44.7%. If neither gets to 50% and the vote heads to a runoff, residents will go back to the polls on May 28 in a head-to-head match between the pair. With most of the 3.4 million votes from abroad still to be counted, Turkey’s election authority, the Supreme Electoral Board, would not yet confirm the results Sunday night. Speaking to supporters in Ankara Sunday evening, Erdogan continued to assert that he was leading the race. He added that he was confident even if the vote headed to a rematch. “We don’t yet know if the elections ended in the first round. ... If our nation has chosen for a second round, that is also welcome,” Erdogan said.