Turkey is in limbo right now, as there is still no clear winner from the presidential election.
After weeks of building political tension between Turkey’s incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the eventual outcome could prove pivotal to the country.
Here’s what you need to know.
Who are the competing politicians?
Erdogan came to power in 2003, but as prime minister, only becoming the country’s first directly elected president in 2014. He then extended his powers further in 2017 by scrapping the PM role and becoming executive president after a failed coup. He is part of the right-wing AK Party.
Kilicdaroglu has been leading Turkey’s main opposition party, the centre-left Republican People’s Party, since 2010. He is the unity candidate for six political parties and is promising to lessen the president’s executive power and pass it back to Turkey’s parliament if he gets into office.
There’s also a third character – Sinan Ogan of right-wing ATA Alliance. He is said to have 5% of the votes, meaning he could be a kingmaker – but he has said he will only speak to his supporters to redirect their vote in a few days.
Where do the votes stand?
As of Monday morning, more than 90% of the votes have been counted. Turkey’s Supreme Election Council says Erdogan is on 49.49% of the vote, with Kilicdaroglu on 44.79%.
Both sides have suggested they could still win, although they need to secure 50% of the vote to become president.
The country was also voting for who will control the 600-seat parliament at the same time, as they will control what laws are passed.
Erdogan’s AK Party has an alliance which is expected to form a majority in parliament, although it has received its worst score since it formed back in 2002, with just 35% of the vote – it has rarely polled under 40% over the last two decades.
The Supreme Election Council has also claimed there are more Turkish expats than usual voting in the election, which has slowed down the counting process.
Kilicdaroglu has also accused his opponents of blocking the “will of the people”, as the governing party keeps challenging votes in opposition strongholds.
Why is this a big deal for Turkey?
Plenty of Turkish voters are struggling right now and fed up with Erdogan’s time in office.
The country is facing soaring inflation (at its highest since 1998), meaning the cost of living crisis has gripped the nation, with rent and bills skyrocketing.
It’s also still dealing with the fallout of two earthquakes which left more than 50,000 people dead. Erdogan has been widely criticised for his response over it, and he even apologised for the sluggish relief efforts.
Then there’s the worries about censorship. According to justice ministry data, 50,000 people have been sued for “defaming the president” since Erdogan took on his job in 2014. Twitter access was also limited shortly before polls opened.
But, his government has just announced record public spending, higher pensions, bigger scholarships, which could help win back more voters.
Why is this a big deal internationally?
Turkey wants to join the EU but it’s been paused over the country’s human rights record. This could change if Erdogan leaves office, because Kilicdaroglu wants to strengthen the country’s ties with the West.
Erdogan, on the other hand, has long accused the West of being against him.
Despite condemning the Ukraine invasion, Erdogan is also one of the few world leaders who still has regular contact with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He also refused to join in with the West’s sanctions against Moscow when the war first began.
What happens next?
There is likely to be a run-off in two weeks, held on May 28, and both contenders say they would take part in a second round.