Second round runoff between two candidates in Turkey’s presidential election

Since no candidate won more than 50% of the first round in Turkey's presidential election on May 14, a second round runoff was held between the two leading candidates on May 28.

The current president, Recep Tayyip Erdo, was standing for the AK party and its allies. The leader of Turkey has been at the top of the political landscape for 20 years, first as prime minister and then as president. He has made significant changes to the powers of the office since becoming president, including substantial constitutional amendments. Erdo has also resigned from the strict secularist foundations of the Turkish republic in favor of policies more in tune with Islam-friendly conservatism.

Kemal K l daro lu, the unitary candidate of six opposition parties, polled 44.9 percent in the first round. K l daro lu had promised to reverse some of Erdogan's constitutional innovations.

Sinan O, a right-wing candidate who surged to 5.2% in the first round; seemingly inconsistency but enough to tip the scales for either of the leading pairs. He was a major opponent of the continued presence of refugees from regional conflicts, notably Syria, in Turkey.

Reported results from Turkish elections are frequently controversial, with early results from rural areas usually favoring Erdo an and other conservatives, while the more populous cities that lean toward secularists and reformists usually declare late. The official election authority, the YSK, has confirmed that the final result will not now change.