Turkish Citizens Head to the Polls for High-Stakes Presidential Election

On Sunday, Turkish citizens headed to the polls for the second round of the country’s presidential election. Long-time leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is facing off against challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who has promised to restore a more democratic society. The election is being closely watched from Washington to Moscow, and the stakes are high.

At the Arjantin İlkokulu elementary school in Ankara, the mood was quiet and orderly. Voters waited in short lines to cast their ballots. Geologist Salami Toprak, 67, said he hoped the election would be good for Turkey.

In the first round of the election on May 14th, Erdogan came in first with 49.5% of the vote, but neither candidate managed to secure an outright majority. In a last-ditch effort to win over voters, Kilicdaroglu has hardened his stance on refugees. Merve Tahiroğlu, Turkey program director at the U.S.-based Project, believes the opposition has calculated that its decision to prioritize economic issues has not delivered the victory they wanted.

The results of the election will be closely watched, as they will determine whether Erdogan will extend his rule into a third decade or if Kilicdaroglu will be able to restore a more democratic society. The outcome of the election will have implications for the entire region, and the world.