Turkey election: Erdogan faces battle for survival as polls close

(CNN) — The hotly contested Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections, which could end the 20-year rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have now ended and are being counted.

Sunday’s race will be the biggest challenge yet for Turkey’s powerhouse leaders. He faces economic headwinds and criticism that the effects of the devastating February 6 earthquake were exacerbated by lax building regulations and poor rescue efforts.

His main opponent is CHP leader Kemal Kultidalor, who represents an electoral coalition of six opposition parties. For the first time, Turkish factional opposition has rallied around a single candidate.

A candidate must get more than 50% of the vote on Sunday night to be elected. Otherwise, Turkey will face a run-off election on May 28.

Voter Kohan Futasi, 46, told CNN from a polling station in Istanbul’s Beyogli district. “My vote is for freedom. My vote is for my children’s future. I hope.”

Eliz Sahin, 46, who lost her brother and son in the quake, said: “This is the historic moment we’ve been waiting for for 20 years. This whole system needs to change.”

Meanwhile, first-time voter Ellen Uzmere, 19, said, “The future of this country is in our hands. It’s in the hands of our young people.”

The soft-spoken 74-year-old former bureaucrat has promised to revive Turkey’s faltering economy and restore a democratic system damaged by a leaning towards authoritarianism during Erdogan’s presidency.

After holding a vote in Istanbul, Erdogan told reporters, “We pray to God for a better future for the country, the nation and Turkish democracy. To show the strength of Turkish democracy. , It is very important that all voters can vote without worry until 17:00 in the evening.”

Meanwhile, after the vote in Ankara, Kurukdaroglu said: Spring is coming to this country, and I hope it stays that way forever. ”

Erdogan ended his campaign on Saturday night with prayers at Hagia Sophia, Istanbul’s mosque and major historic site. By contrast, Mr. Kilicdaroglu visited the tomb of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey and a staunch secularist.

President Erdogan has praised the virtues of his long rule, campaigned for a stable and independent foreign policy, and continues to strengthen Turkey’s defense industry. He recently raised wages for government employees by 45% and lowered the retirement age.

Over the past two years, Turkey’s currency has plummeted and prices soared, sparking a cost-of-living crisis that has eroded President Erdogan’s conservative working-class support base.

When a violent earthquake on February 6 devastated much of southeastern Turkey, President Erdogan battled political aftershocks. His critics have accused his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK) of 20 years of failed rescue efforts and lax building regulations.

In the weeks after the earthquake, the government rounded up dozens of contractors, construction inspectors and project managers for violating building codes. Critics dismissed the move as a scapegoat.

The government also apologized for the “mistakes” it made in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

The earthquake killed more than 51,000 people in Turkey and neighboring Syria. Thousands of people are still missing in unmarked graves in the countryside of southeastern Turkey.

Kulchidalor’s support further bolstered on Thursday when minority candidate Muharrem Ince withdrew from the race late in the campaign. Despite his low voter turnout, some opposition officials feared he would divide the anti-Erdogan vote.

Elections are held in Turkey every five years. More than 1.8 million voters living abroad had already cast their ballots on April 17, Turkish newspaper Daily Saba reported on Wednesday, citing the country’s deputy foreign minister. Over 65 million Turks are eligible to vote.

Supreme Electoral Council (YSK) chief Ahmet Yener said last month that at least one million voters in the affected areas are expected not to vote this year due to the displaced population.