Erdogan wins endorsement from third-place candidate ahead of Turkish election runoff

In this photo released by Turkish Presidency, Turkish President and People's Alliance's presidential candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, shakes hands with Sinan Ogan, former presidential candidate from ATA alliance, in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 19. [Turkish Presidency via AP]

The third-placed contender in the Turkish presidential elections formally endorsed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday for the second-round runoff vote to be held on May 28.

The nationalist presidential candidate Sinan Ogan, 55, has emerged as a potential kingmaker after neither Erdogan nor his main challenger, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, secured the majority needed for a first-round victory on May 14.

"I declare that we will support Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the candidate of the People's Alliance, in the second round of the elections," Ogan said, referring to the Erdogan-led alliance that includes nationalist and Islamist parties.

"We believe that our decision will be the right decision for our country and nation," Ogan stated.

Ogan, a former academic who was backed by a far-right anti-migrant party, won 5.17% in the May 14 vote and could...

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