Defying poll predictionsthe president Erdogan garnered 49.51% of the vote on May 14 electionbeating the main opposition candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu (44.88%), with more than 5 points difference. However, for the first time in two decades, he failed to secure an absolute majority in the first round of elections.

The Munich newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung points to three key points that could give Kilicdaroglu victory:

“First, the opposition candidate should boost the morale of his supporters.

Second, he should bring back the undecided Kurds to his side, even though for them Kilicdaroglu’s party evokes their worst memories.

And third, he will have to win over the right-wing nationalist supporters of Sinan Ogan, who make up 5% of the electorate. However, such a thing is extremely doubtful, as many of them either consider Kilicdaroglu to be left-wing, or are going to abstain during the second election round.”

RND: The electoral contest is unfair

Regarding the first election round, Gerd Heller, the German correspondent in Athens, comments on the German Journalism Network (RND) about Turkey that “the electoral contest was not fair.

Businessmen close to Erdogan control 90% of the Turkish press and mass media. State television TRT aired 32 hours of Erdogan’s political rallies and interviews in April alone. On the contrary, TRT devoted only 32 minutes of TV time to Kilicdaroglu.”

This view is shared by SZ: “President Erdogan has tried to put as many obstacles as possible against Kilicdaroglu, with the help of the judiciary, the largely controlled media and a bureaucracy subordinate to him. Armed as usual, without following any rules. The elections in Turkey were free – but they were not fair.”

Nevertheless, the Munich newspaper adds that “Turkey, despite its peculiarities, is a surprisingly well-functioning democracy – at least as far as the electorate is concerned, which registered a shocking turnout of 90%, with no serious or violent episodes.

Voters have expressed their disillusionment with Erdogan’s previous years of rule and, by driving the election to a runoff, removed the president’s aura of invincibility. That in itself is a success for the opposition – even if another five years with Erdogan as president is likely to be a tough test for Turkey