Erdogan pledges ‘bigger win’ for supporters in runoff election.

Turkey’s President Erdogan is seeking a third term as president and a five-year extension of his 20-year rule. Despite criticism over the response to February’s earthquakes and opinion polls indicating a win for his main rival, Erdogan emerged largely victorious in Sunday’s parliamentary and presidential elections. He must face a second round against opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu on May 28, but momentum seems to be with Turkey’s electorally most successful politician. Erdogan has focused his campaign on appealing to national pride and emphasising the advances seen under his rule, including infrastructure projects, developments in the defence industry, and vital energy schemes. He has also painted Kilicdaroglu as soft on terror due to the support he receives from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). Erdogan plans to visit the earthquake zone during the second phase of electioneering.