ANKARA – Turkish Presidential Candidate muharrem ince announced Thursday that he withdrew from the race two days before a critical general election.
At a news conference in Ankara, Ince, the leader of the Memleket Party (Motherland Party) and a former veteran of the main opposition, said he was retiring for his country.
Ince’s decision could increase the chances of main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu winning against incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as most of his votes come from the opposition voter base.
Polls released Thursday put Ince’s support at 1%-2%. The close contest is widely seen as important, as it will determine whether Erdogan will extend his authoritarian rule to another consecutive term.
Ince said his Memleket Party will remain in the race and called on his supporters to vote for his party in the parliamentary elections.
This is a breaking story that will be updated.