Turkish Nationalist Presidential Candidate Ogan Backs Erdogan in Run-off

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) shaking hands with former presidential candidate of the ATA Alliance, Sinan Ogan (L) in Istanbul. 19 May 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/PRESIDENT PRESS OFFICE HANDOUT

"I will support President Erdogan in the second round and I call on our supporters to vote for People's Alliance's candidate Erdogan," Ogan said on Monday.

Ogan added that the parliamentary majority and the President should be from same political camp, to provide stability in the country.

The decision deals a major blow to the hopes of Erdogan's opposition rival for the presidency, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Ogan received a surprisingly strong 5.17 per cent in the first round of Turkey's presidential elections on May 14.

President Erdogan received 49.5 per cent of the votes in the first round and Kilicdaroglu got 44.8 per cent. Erdogan's People's Alliance meanwhile secured a comfortable majority in parliament.

Ogan previously set his conditions for supporting either of the candidates. As Ogan met President Erdogan over the weekend, Umit Ozdag, leader of the Victory Party, the largest party in the ATA Alliance, met with Kilicdaroglu.

Unlike Ogan, other parties in the ATA Alliance, including the Justice Party and My Country Party, have declared their support for Kilicdaroglu.

"There are certain differences between us. The honourable and voluntary return [of refugees] is a policy [of Erdogan's government]. The policy of the Victory Party … is that the state should exercise its sovereign right to this end by force, if necessary," Ozdag said on Monday, after meeting Numan Kurtulmus, Vice President of Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP.

Victory Party's Ozdag did not clarify which candidate will have his party...