Iran Press/ Asia: Ogan endorsed Erdogan at a news conference in Ankara on Monday and said his campaign made Turkish nationalists “key players” in politics.
Calling on his supporters to back Erdogan in the runoff, he said: “We had all kinds of consultations before making the last decision. We have taken this decision because we believe that our decision is the right decision for our country and nation.”
The announcement by the nationalist candidate came days before Turks head to polls on May 28 to decide whether Erdogan or main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu will lead the country for the next five years.
In the first round of voting on May 14, Erdogan received 49.52 percent, falling just short of the majority needed to secure an outright victory.
Kilicdaroglu, the candidate of a six-party opposition alliance, got 44.88 percent. Ogan, backed by the ATA Alliance, finished third with 5.17 percent support, prompting some analysts to call him a potential “kingmaker” for the runoff.
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