OUR Sinan Ogan did not qualify for the second round of the presidential elections to be held in Türkiye V May 28. How could he?

However, the 55-year-old former MP now has something “precious” in his “hands”. What you not only want, but also need Mr. Erdogan And Kilicdaroglu on the way to a new ballot box: nearly 3 million Turks who voted for him on 14 May.

Sinan Ogan – still little known internationally – finished third last Sunday with a 5.2% and approximately 2.8 million votes.

Where everything went well and where it didn’t

The highest percentages were achieved in provinces such as Sangario (7%), Kastamona (7.2%), Karaman (7.9%), Karabuk (7.9%), Isparta (7.5%), Igdir ( 11.9%), Eskisehir. (7.3%), Denizli (7.1%), Jankiri (7.1%), Bolu (7.5%) and Bilecik (8.1%).

In other words, he excelled in areas whose voters are closer to Erdogan than to Kılıçdaroğlu.

On the other hand, its lowest scores were recorded in places with a strong Kurdish element such as Batman (1.2%), Diyarbakır (1.3%) and Mardin (1.4%).

According to the first round 14^her In May, Sinan Ogan won the highest percentage of votes where Erdogan was first in the number of votes and lost where Kilicdaroglu was first.

Relations with Russia and Albania

Ogan, 55, is from Igdir is located in the east of Turkey, not far from the country’s border with Armenia. He, in fact, has Azerbaijani roots, while he was a member of parliament in the period 2011-2015, as a member Nationalist Action Party (MHP) from Devlet Bahceli.

If you look at his resume, you’ll see that he had connections with her in the past. Russia. Ogan studied in Moscow and speaks Russian, his face appears on the website of the Valdai Club, while he also signs the book “Turunku Devrimler”, through the pages of which he denounces the “colorful” revolutions, George Soros and American influence. But he himself became close to other countries: in Albania (because he was a member of the Turkey-Albania parliamentary friendship group), in Kazakhstan (from which he received an honorary distinction) and, apparently, in Azerbaijan, where he also comes from.

As for staying in its ranks MHPparty of the Gray Wolves, she was rather restless, since Ogan was repeatedly expelled from the party, and he personally clashed with Devlet Bahceli.

Sinan Ogan was quite “unknown” outside of Turkey until recently. Some may know him through the Ankara-based Turkish think tank TURKSAM, which he founded and runs, while others may remember his time at the MHP.

Even when he collected the 100,000 signatures needed to run in the presidential election last March, few people outside of Turkey cared.

His name will begin to be discussed literally a day before the election is called, against the backdrop of the sudden withdrawal of his presidential candidacy. Muharrem Incein logic like “oh, besides Erdogan and Kılıçdaroglu, there is a third presidential candidate named Ogan.”

Parties supporting him

OUR Sinan Ogan took part in the May 14 elections with an alliance (ATA İttifakı) of four nationalist/far right parties (Zafer, Adalet, Ülkem, Türkiye İttifakı) on his side, the most famous of which is the Victory Party (Zafer) – also from the MHP – Umit Ozdag.

“Umit Ozdag: extreme rightist who is causing headaches for the Erdogan government,” we wrote in “K” exactly one year ago, in May 2022, about “MP Ozdag with millions of followers on social networks, who raises anti-immigration tensions in Turkey, targeting Syrian refugees and together with the government (including Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Suleiman Soyla) that welcomed them.”

Twelve months later, Sinan Ogan is now at the forefront as a “regulator”, with the aforementioned Ozdag at his side, and now analysts are wondering if he will formally endorse either of the remaining two presidential candidates in the future. for elections 28^her Maybe.

Kurds and refugees

Judging by what he says publicly, Ogan is asking for assurances in exchange for the support of one of the presidential candidates that the new Turkish leadership will take a tough stance towards the Kurds, on the one hand, and refugees, on the other. The Kurds, according to Ogan, should be politically weakened, and the refugees should return to their homeland.

However, at the same time, he hinted that he would like to receive ministries or high positions in the future government as an “exchange”.

Fights with Bahceli and Soylou

From an ideological point of view, Sinan Ogan is closer to Erdogan than to the pluralistic opposition of the “National Alliance” Kılıçdaroğlu, whose presidential candidacy is also supported by HDP Kurds/pro-Kurds.

On the other hand, however, Ogan has clashed with him in the past. Devlet Bahceli (Erdogan’s main partner), Mr. Umit Ozdag (Ogan’s key partner) has clashed with him in the past Suleiman Soylu (Erdogan’s key minister), but also with Aksener from the opposition National Alliance. In other words, there are influential poles inside Erdogan’s entourage, as well as inside the opposition, who would not want Ogan to start rising …

What happens remains to be seen. OUR Sinan Ogan however, they say that over the past 24 hours he has received phone calls from Erdogan (from the former Prime Minister Binali Yildirimin particular), but also Kilicdaroglu…