A candidate in Turkiye's presidential election announced Thursday that he was withdrawing from the race, a move that's likely to bolster President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main challenger.
Muharrem Ince, the leader of the center-left Homeland Party, was one of four contenders running for president in the May 14 election. Turkiye will also be holding a parliamentary election at the same time.Ince had come under intense criticism for splintering the votes of the six-party Nation Alliance, which has united behind the candidacy of main opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and of possibly forcing the presidential race into a second-round.
Erdogan, who has led Turkiye as prime minister and president since 2003, is facing the most challenging election of his 20-year rule. Polls had given Kilicdaroglu a slight lead over Erdogan, although neither candidate was expected to garner more than 50% of the votes required to be elected in the first round.
The firebrand politician didn't say he was dropping out in favour of Kilicdaroglu, but analysts say his withdrawal is likely to benefit the Nation Alliance."God willing, our nation will take the necessary step in the days ahead so that we will in the first round," said Gultekin Uysal, leader of the centre-right Democrat Party.
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