Muharrem Ince, leader of the Memleket Party, announced today that he is withdrawing his candidacy for the presidency ahead of Sunday's dual election.
According to recent polls, Ince had a voter support rate of between 2% and 5%, and he has not yet announced his support for any of the other three candidates.
During the 2018 presidential elections, Ince ran as the candidate of the Republican People's Party (CHP) against President Erdogan. It was speculated that Ince could potentially take votes away from CHP leader Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, thereby aiding Erdogan's re-election.
SInce Ince made his announcement after the deadline for candidate registration, his name will still appear on the ballot papers.
Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, the leader of the CHP and the opposition alliance candidate, called on Ince to join the opposition alliance. On Twitter, he said, "My invitation is still valid. Let's put our past differences aside. We welcome Mr. Ince to join us in our fight for a better Turkey."
In response, President Erdogan expressed his disappointment that Ince had withdrawn his candidacy. He said, "One of the candidates has withdrawn from the race. It's not clear why he did that. I'm sorry to hear it. We will continue on our path with the other candidates. What's important is the decision of the Turkish people."
At an AKP rally in Ankara's Pursaklar district, after Erdogan's speech, his adviser Orhan Karakurt called on Ince's supporters to vote for Erdogan.
Ince's withdrawal from the race has caused a stir among the public. It remains to be seen what impact his withdrawal will have on the overall election results.
Source: English Bianet