Ogan springs a surprise

The surprise of the elections is Sinan Ogan, the candidate of ultra-nationalist Ancestor Alliance. He is clinging to five percent of the vote.

An academic specialising in business and international relations, he was formerly associated with Erdogan’s allied Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). It is difficult to tell at this stage whether he attracted GenZ Turkish nationalist voters or Turkish nationalists who don’t want to vote for Kilicdaroglu, as was his aim.

Ogan’s appearance on a YouTube show last month increased his support among first-time voters. His main platform is criticising both the opposition and the government on the presence of 3.7 million Syrian refugees. He is also an ardent critic of Kilicdaroglu for making an indirect alliance with the pro-Kurdish HDP, which is supporting him from outside the Table of Six opposition alliance.

Sinan Ogan, casts his vote with his wife Gokcen Ogan at a polling station in Ankara (Anadolu Agency)

The fourth candidate on the ballot, Muharrem Ince, pulled out of the race late last week citing an online smear campaign. It was too late to take his name off the ballots, which had already been printed, and some people seem to be voting for him nonetheless. So far Ince’s on about 0.56 percent.