Erdogan wins endorsement for Turkish election runoff from third-place candidate Ogan

By SUZAN FRASER
Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The third-placed contender in the Turkish presidential elections on Monday has formally endorsed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the upcoming runoff vote to be held on May 28th. The nationalist presidential candidate Sinan Ogan, 55, emerged as a potential kingmaker after neither Erdogan nor his main challenger, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, secured the majority needed for a first-round victory on May 14th. Ogan, a former academic who was backed by a far-right anti-migrant party, won 5.17% in the May 14 vote. His endorsement of Erdogan came days after he held a surprise meeting with the Turkish leader in Istanbul on Friday. No statement was made following the one-hour meeting.