Erdoğan leads poll by over 2.5 million votes: Watchdog

The election watchdog has officially announced that Türkiye will go to runoff elections to elect the next president following the May 14 polls that saw incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ahead of his main rival, Nation Alliance's candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Ahmet Yener, the head of the Supreme Election Board (YSK), informed that all the votes cast in the country and almost all abroad votes were counted as of the late afternoon on May 15.

"According to the results, it has been observed that no presidential candidate could get enough votes to be elected as the president. Our board decided to go to the second round of polls on May 28 in line with the relevant laws," Yener told the media.

Yener said Erdoğan gained 49.51 percent of votes and Kılıçdaroğlu 44.88 percent of votes. Both contenders remained under the required 50 percent plus one vote threshold to be elected. The third candidate, Sinan Oğan from the Ata Alliance, secured 5.17 percent of the votes. Muharrem İnce, the chairman of the Homeland Party, had received 0.44 percent of the votes, although he had announced his withdrawal from the race only days before the elections.

In line with this picture, Erdoğan and Kılıçdaroğlu will compete in the elections on May 28, and the one who secures the most votes will be the next Turkish president.

Yener also informed that the turnout in the elections was registered as 88.92 percent.

With the YSK'S decision, a timeline has started for the May 28 polls. "As of today, the election campaign has begun," Yener said.

He said Turks living abroad will be able to vote both at the Turkish diplomatic missions and border gates. Those who want to vote abroad can cast their votes between May 20 and 24, but the polling...