Just days before Turkey’s closely contested presidential election, candidate Muharrem Ince has announced his withdrawal from the race.

Ince, who had been facing mounting pressure to avoid splitting the opposition vote, cited fake sex pictures and character assassination as reasons for his decision. He expressed frustration at the slander he had endured and criticized Turkish authorities for failing to protect his reputation. Ince also stated that he did not want to be held responsible if the opposition alliance lost the presidential vote.

With Ince’s withdrawal, the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, receives a significant boost. The news caused Turkey’s main stock market to surge. Erdogan, who has been in power for over 20 years, faces growing dissatisfaction as the country grapples with a high inflation rate of 44% and criticism over the government’s response to a recent double earthquake.

Kilicdaroglu, a 74-year-old leader of an alliance comprising six opposition parties, is currently polling at 49% support. Although Ince’s share of the vote is small, opposition supporters hope that his withdrawal could help Kilicdaroglu secure the necessary 50% to win the election outright on Sunday. If no candidate achieves this threshold, a run-off will be held two weeks later.

Ince, aged 59, previously received 30% of the vote as a candidate for the main opposition Republican People’s Party five years ago but left the party the following year.