Election
Türkiye 2023 Presidential Election
May 14, 2023 – May 28, 2023
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won a third presidential term in Türkiye's first-ever run-off, defeating joint opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu 52.18% to 47.82% on 28 May 2023, after a 14 May first round held alongside parliamentary elections. ODIHR found voters had a choice between genuine alternatives and participation was high (87.0% in the first round), but the incumbent enjoyed an unjustified advantage through biased media coverage and restrictions on fundamental freedoms; election day was generally well-organized.
Official results
Percentages of valid votes, as published by the YSK. The turnout shown is the 28 May run-off, the decisive round; first-round turnout was 87.04%.
First round — 14 May 2023
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (People's Alliance)49.5%27,133,849
- Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (Nation Alliance)44.9%24,595,178
- Sinan Oğan (ATA Alliance)5.2%2,831,239
Endorsed Erdoğan for the run-off
- Muharrem İnce (Homeland Party)0.4%236,097
Withdrew three days before the vote but remained on the ballot
Run-off — 28 May 2023
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (People's Alliance)52.2%27,834,589
Elected to a third term
- Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (Nation Alliance)47.8%25,504,724
The Integrity Ledger
What the evidence establishes, and what it does not — side by side, each finding sourced and tiered.
What is established
- Process violationsCorroborated
ODIHR found the incumbent president and ruling parties enjoyed an unjustified advantage — including biased media coverage and use of state resources — and that continued restrictions on freedoms of assembly, association and expression hindered parts of the opposition, civil society and independent media. The campaign was competitive and largely free for most contestants, and election day was generally well-organized.
Sources:1
What is not established
- Result falsificationAlleged
Opposition parties reported discrepancies between some polling-station records and published totals and lodged objections in both rounds, but no court or observer finding substantiated falsification of the national result: ODIHR assessed election day, including the count, positively overall, and Kılıçdaroğlu conceded on run-off night.
Sources:1
Process assessment
ODIHR deployed a full election observation mission for both rounds (with OSCE PA and PACE partners): a competitive campaign offering genuine alternatives with high turnout, but a tilted playing field through media bias and incumbency advantage; election day generally well-organized despite some procedural deficiencies.