Sinan Ogan: The 'kingmaker' Turkey’s Erdogan doesn’t need Turkish politician Sinan Ogan shot from relative obscurity to international fame after finishing third in the first round of the presidential election on Monday. But even as the ultra-nationalist candidate was basking in the potential kingmaker spotlight, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fared better than expected in the final score, proving that the man who has ruled Turkey for 20 years doesn’t need anybody to win his toughest electoral challenge yet.