Sinan Ogan's supporters could now sweep one of the far-right candidate's rivals to power in Turkey. Reuters
Sinan Ogan's supporters could now sweep one of the far-right candidate's rivals to power in Turkey. Reuters
Sinan Ogan's supporters could now sweep one of the far-right candidate's rivals to power in Turkey. Reuters
Sinan Ogan's supporters could now sweep one of the far-right candidate's rivals to power in Turkey. Reuters

Who is Sinan Ogan, the far-right 'kingmaker' in Turkey's election?


Nada AlTaher
  • English
  • Arabic

Ultra-nationalist candidate Sinan Ogan may be Turkey's “kingmaker” despite placing third in presidential elections, in which Recep Tayyip Erdogan gained a narrow lead over rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Mr Ogan captured a surprising 5 per cent of the vote.

Mr Erdogan and Mr Kilicdaroglu will contest a run-off vote on May 28.

But who is Mr Ogan and what does he want? Here is what we know so far.

Who is Sinan Ogan?

Born to an Azerbaijani family in the small Turkish town of Melekli in 1967, Mr Ogan is the son of a farmer and the youngest in his family.

He completed his primary and secondary school education in the city of Igdir before studying business administration at Marmara University. He earned a master's degree in financial law in 1992.

In 2009, he was awarded a doctorate in international relations and political science by Moscow State University of International Relations.

During his youth, he was heavily active in politics, organising rallies and events to protest against the Soviets' massacre of civilians in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on January 20, 1990, now commemorated as Black January.

In 2011, he became a member of parliament after the Nationalist Movement Party won in local elections.

What party does he belong to?

Today, Mr Ogan represents nationalist, anti-refugee ideals, often claiming that Syrian refugees represent a national security threat to Turkey.

He is a member of the four-party right-wing Ancestral Alliance, which was established in March this year.

What is Ogan's role in Turkey's election?

In an interview with Reuters, Mr Ogan said he would back Mr Kilicdaroglu in run-offs if the second-placed candidate ruled out concessions to the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) pro-Kurdish party.

The left-wing HDP is accused of supporting Kurdish militias, a claim it rejects.

Turkey considers the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, to be a terrorist group.

Mr Ogan has said he would not back any candidate “who doesn’t keep a distance with the terror organisation”.

The 2.8 million people who voted for Mr Ogan in the first round of elections could be crucial to the winning candidate in the run-offs.

Turkey's presidential election voting — in pictures

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Evacuations to France hit by controversy
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  • Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
  • The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
  • Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
  • It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
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The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont

Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950

Engine 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km

Company info

Company name: Entrupy 

Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist

Based: New York, New York

Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.  

Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius. 

Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place. 

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

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Scorline

Iraq 1-0 UAE

Iraq Hussein 28’

RESULTS
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Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

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Updated: May 16, 2023, 7:06 AM`