This man is going to be a king maker in Turkey

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In the Turkish presidential elections, he received only 5 percent of all votes. Still, all eyes should be on him in the coming weeks. At home and on the international scene. Sinan Ogan (55), presidential candidate of the ultra-nationalist Ata Alliance, is likely to be the deciding factor in the race for the Turkish presidency.

Given the likely runoff between incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan (69) and challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu (74), Ogan’s voters could be crucial in a second ballot. According to current figures, Erdogan received 49.49 percent of all votes, Kilicdaroglu 44.79 percent. The final results are not yet known. It is unclear when this can be expected.

Once Ogan makes a recommendation for either candidate, it could make a big difference in the second round in two weeks. And Ogan has already announced that he wants to do this in the coming days. “Our people can rest easy. We will never let Turkey go into crisis,” Ogan said in Ankara on Monday evening.

Erdogan or Kilicdaroglu?

Before the first round of voting, Erdogan’s challenger set clear conditions that a candidate must meet in order to support him. The ultra-nationalist alliance wants, among other things, to prevent the pro-Kurdish party HDP from playing a role in Turkish politics.

As the “Mirror” writes, this condition is unlikely to be met by opposition candidate Kilicdaroglu. The HDP is considered a prominent supporter of Kilicdaroglu, and it also depends on the votes of the Kurds.

So does everything speak for Ogan’s support for Erdogan? Not necessary. Although Ogan is a former ally of the Turkish president, he entered the Turkish parliament in 2011 as a member of the Erdogan alliance party MHP. In 2015, however, he was expelled from the party after criticizing his own party. Following a court ruling, Ogan rejoined the MHP but was expelled again in 2017. This back and forth would have left its mark, insiders told the Turkish BBC before the election.

discussions in the coming days

In the election campaign, Ogan was clearly against Erdogan. It is unclear whether he can agree on a compromise with the incumbent president. In addition, the 55-year-old showed a certain willingness to compromise on the Kurdish issue. That could play into the hands of opposition candidate Kilicdaroglu.

So it is completely open which candidate Sinan Ogan will choose with his alliance. Talks will be held with the two candidates in the coming days before a final decision is made.

Ogan himself is aware of his strong position. In an interview after the first ballot, he said he wouldn’t just be a paper partner. “Me and my people, we have clear claims. We want to occupy ministries and be part of the government.”

Source: Blick