Muharrem İnce

Turkish pollsters largely failed to accurately reflect the electorate's preferences and predict the outcome of the May 14 elections.

After the presidential election results, which are considered the "most difficult election to predict," were officially announced, eyes were turned to pollsters.

The vast majority of Turkish voters in Bulgaria preferred the opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to the current president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential elections in Turkey, according to the results of the vote abroad, announced by the Turkish publication "Duvar" and quoted by BTA.

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.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could be forced into a runoff if he fails to win an outright majority in Sunday's presidential election.

With more than 9 out of 10 electoral precincts reporting (91.10%), Erdogan was barely holding to an outright majority (50.01%), versus 44.21% for his main opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Sinan Ogan, a far-right nationalist, is at 5.3%.

A total of 17 people have been detained after Muharrem İnce, one of the four presidential contenders, announced his decision to withdraw from the race, expressing his fury over conspiracies against him, including a fake sex videotape.

• More than 64 million Turkish citizens are eligible to vote in the polls. They will choose between three presidential candidates and 36 parties in 87 electoral districts.
• Voters will decide the fate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP as they face a united democratic opposition.

Turkey today votes for a president and members of the 600-seat parliament. The main rivals for the post of head of state are the current president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on May 13 that he views the elections as a "democracy celebration for our country's future," in his election message. 

Meanwhile, Erdoğan on May 12 defended Russia's Vladimir Putin from allegations of meddling in Turkey's crucial weekend election.

Accusations against Russia were made by the main opponent of Turkish President Recep Erdogan in the upcoming Sunday elections for a new head of state.

Opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu tweeted that Moscow was spreading fake news to influence the campaign.

Muharrem Ince, leader of the Homeland Party and former presidential candidate for Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, CHP. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

"I will leave them no excuses. Otherwise, they will put the blame on us [if incumbent President Erdogan's wins]," Ince told a press conference in Ankara in front of his party headquarters.