The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Are Turkey’s elections free and fair? Here’s what to know.

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Updated May 28, 2023 at 5:39 a.m. EDT|Published May 12, 2023 at 12:00 a.m. EDT
A campaign poster for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reads “Right Time, Right Man” on an overpass in Istanbul on April 26. (Nicole Tung for The Washington Post)
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After a first round of voting two weeks ago, Turks are once more heading to the polls in a presidential runoff. The election could have sweeping ramifications for the fate of democracy in the country and beyond.

May 14’s vote was among Turkey’s most closely contested elections in years — though it was not conclusive. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won 49 percent of votes to 45 percent for Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the opposition alliance. A candidate must gain more than 50 percent to win outright or, if no one passes that threshold, prevail in a runoff.