Erdogan Heads for Runoff in Tight Turkey Election

Vote Count Nearing Completion, Results Show Close Race

Erdogan, Main Rival to Face Each Other in Second Round

ANKARA, Turkey - With nearly all votes counted, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appears headed for a runoff election. The country's tight presidential race has come down to Erdogan and his main rival, as no candidate secured a clear majority in the first round of voting.

As of Sunday evening, with 95% of the votes counted, Erdogan had garnered around 48% of the votes. However, this falls short of the 50% required to avoid a runoff. His closest rival, Muharrem Ince, a former physics teacher, has secured approximately 30% of the votes.

The two candidates will now face each other in a second round of voting, scheduled for July 8th. Erdogan, who has been in power for 15 years, is seeking a fresh mandate to continue his rule. Ince, on the other hand, has promised to bring about change and challenge Erdogan's authoritarian grip on the country.