Sinan Oğan, the presidential candidate of the far-right ATA Alliance, announced on May 22 that he is endorsing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the candidate of the ruling People's Alliance, in the second round of Turkey's presidential elections. Oğan, who secured 5.17% of the votes in the initial round, stated his decision to support Erdoğan against the main opposition bloc's candidate, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
During a press conference in the capital, Ankara, Oğan emphasized the agenda of Turkish nationalism and Kemalism, asserting their significance in the country. As Turkish nationalists, Oğan mentioned how they replaced the Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) role in the presidential elections, contributing to the emergence of a strong nationalist electorate in Turkey. He further added that their discourse was embraced by the candidates who made it to the second round.
Oğan's decision was motivated by the importance of "stability," with the ruling People's Alliance obtaining a majority in Parliament. The ATA Alliance, led by Oğan, had a firm anti-refugee stance.
It remains uncertain whether Oğan's voters will fully support Erdoğan, as experts believe that many of them might have been protesting voters who did not wish to vote for either Erdoğan or Kılıçdaroğlu in the first round.
Meanwhile, the ATA Alliance has disbanded, and its member parties have adopted different positions. The Justice Party announced on May 22 that they would support Kılıçdaroğlu in the second round. The Victory Party (ZP), the main component of the alliance, which secured 2.23% in the parliamentary elections, has not made an official announcement yet. ZP leader Ümit Özdağ stated on Twitter that Oğan's support for Erdoğan represents his personal stance and does not reflect the party's official position. Özdağ is expected to announce the ZP's stance on May 23, with possibilities of remaining neutral or endorsing Kılıçdaroğlu's candidacy.
Özdağ and Kılıçdaroğlu also scheduled a meeting on May 22 following their initial meeting on May 19.
After Oğan's endorsement, Kılıçdaroğlu tweeted, "It is evident who is on the side of this beautiful country and who is on the side of selling it! We are here to protect this country from terrorism and the refugee crisis. This is a referendum: No one can deceive anyone any more. I urge our eight million citizens and all the young people who did not vote in the first round to cast their vote!"
Following Oğan's declaration of support for Erdoğan, some of his critical remarks about the government during the election campaign resurfaced on social media. In a live broadcast on Habertürk TV on March 27, he stated, "A Turkish nationalist (ülkücü) does not stand with HÜDA-PAR, even if you kill them." Four candidates from the Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR) were elected as Members of Parliament from the ruling AKP's list, led by Erdoğan. HÜDA-PAR has been at the center of controversy due to its direct association with the radical Islamist terrorist organization Hizbullah.
In a social media video on May 13, one day before the elections, Oğan proclaimed, "We will bring an end to chaos. Trust us. Everything will be splendid." The phrase "Everything will be splendid" is frequently used by Ekrem İmamoğlu, the CHP Istanbul Mayor and Vice Presidential candidate of the Nation Alliance.
After Oğan received a considerable number of votes that could make him the "kingmaker" in the presidential run-off, Turkish politics shifted towards a more nationalist position. The opposition bloc abandoned its previous positive campaign tone for the first round and adopted a more aggressive stance towards the government and immigrants to attract nationalist voters.
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