So, what does this mean? You can't understand it from the social media platforms filled with trolls who have no real identity, from the surveys filled with wishes and orders rather than reality, and from the noise of the clowns who overpower all voices because they are the loudest. The Türkiye portrayed by all these platforms is different, while the Türkiye depicted by the election ballot boxes reflecting the most accurate survey results is completely different.
As of 22:20, when I started writing this article, 86.41% of the ballot boxes have been opened, and Erdogan is currently leading the presidential election with 50.29% of the votes. It was expected that this percentage would decrease slightly as a significant portion of the yet-to-be-opened ballot boxes are from regions where Kılıçdaroğlu is leading, but regardless of how much it decreases, the overall picture has become clear. The unclear aspect of the picture is whether the first round of the election will be completed until the last minute.
Even if it goes to a second round, Erdogan seems to have won this election as he has won every election he has entered during his 21-year leadership of the AK Party. The opposing candidate has repeated the experience of losing all the elections he has competed against Erdogan so far, showing that he is also the loser of this election with a little over 43% of the votes. Even if the election goes to a second round, it does not change the fact that it falls far short of the victory expectations created by all the perceptions generated so far.
When the same vote percentage is distributed to the parliamentary elections parallel to the presidential elections, it can be seen that the People's Alliance has achieved a majority in the Parliament. In fact, this contradicts the predictions we have been hearing for months that "even if the president wins, the majority in parliament will be lost." Even if the presidential race goes to a second round, the People's Alliance has already obtained a majority in the parliament, which will provide a separate advantage in a possible second round. By the time you read these lines, this possibility will have become a reality, of course.
The current situation actually doesn't come as a surprise for those who follow Türkiye closely in terms of reality and on the ground. However, it is a big surprise for those who follow this country through social media or certain media outlets. Especially for those who trusted the polling companies that served the propaganda of the CHP using the perception of "reliability" that they have accumulated over the years with great intellectual and analytical performance, it is impossible not to experience a shock. We know that these companies did not hesitate to report to their Western clients that Kılıçdaroğlu would finish the job in the first round with a lead of at least 7-8 points. Probably based on the reports provided by these companies, media outlets such as The Economist, Le Point, Le Express, Der Spiegel, and The Independent disregarded all principles and conventions of journalism and presented themselves to their readers like a CHP propaganda brochure.
These media outlets ignored the fact that Erdogan, who has been portrayed as a "dictator" by the CHP and all the alliances during this process, is in an election period. Despite being in power for 21 years through elections, Erdogan has never remained in power through non-electoral means, even for a day. If he were a dictator, we probably wouldn't still be experiencing such a significant uncertainty in the election results at the time of writing this article.
However, just like in all previous elections, he worked harder than anyone else in this election as well. He traveled every inch of the country with superhuman performance, explained himself, his concerns, and his vision to people, and asked for their votes. On the other hand, his rivals were subjected to countless intrigues, threats, and blackmail just to form an alliance with a single candidate among themselves. The persuasion process and tactics used to bring everyone together for a single candidate are an example that will be thrown in the face of those who call Erdogan repressive and dictatorial.
Entering an election while in power is not an advantage, but rather a significant disadvantage under normal circumstances. Despite the pandemic, economic difficulties resulting from the Ukraine-Russia War, earthquakes, and even the usual weariness in some people, Erdogan managed to secure 50% of the votes. In the previous election, Türkiye had already broken its own record, which had never been seen before and would be very difficult to repeat. Winning so many consecutive elections is not something that easily happens to any mortal. It is a sign of the extremely strong bond that Erdogan has established with the people, and this bond has once again manifested itself today.
The unbelievably high voter turnout in the elections is a clear indication of how deeply democracy is instilled in Türkiye. Regardless of what anyone says, this participation is a clear indication of the profound belief of the people in politics in Türkiye. In a place where it is believed that politics can bring about change, no one can question the quality of democracy. However, the quality demonstrated by people in politics is another issue. When the desired outcome is not achieved, mud-slinging, calling people names like dictator or authoritarian, is nothing more than petulance.
In conclusion, it was a good election. Turkish democracy won, and Erdogan won again.
Congratulations, may it be for the good of our country.
