Sunday’s election is shaping up to be the biggest fight of his political career for Turkey’s all-powerful President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Because this time all the opposition parties have united to face him.
Erdogan’s main rival, Kemal Kuluchdarulu, appeared at a rally of his supporters on Friday – flanked by allies from many of the country’s political parties.
This has not happened in Turkish politics for a long time.
It was raining in Ankara. In that gathering Mr. Kuluchdarulu announced – he will restore “peace and democracy” in the country.
On the other hand, he is calling on the voters to oust him – Mr. who has been in power for 20 years. Erdoğan says that despite many challenges, he has kept Turkey’s head high.
One of the challenges has been the economy – which has been hit by double-digit inflation and the devastating February earthquake.
These two were the main issues during the presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey this year.
Kemal Kuluchdarulu is now 74 and is considered a soft-spoken man. But at Friday’s rally, he gave a powerful speech to the crowd.
Kuluchdarulu’s supporters think that for the past two decades Mr. Erdoğan has axed power in his own hands instead of the parliament, and this is the biggest opportunity to take that power away.
It can be seen in the public opinion polls, Mr. is ahead by a small margin. Kulochdarului.
His supporters are now daring to dream that he might be elected outright with more than 50 percent of the vote—no need for a second round.
President Erdoğan was asked by TV reporters what he would do if he lost.
In response, Erdoğan said it was a meaningless question, but his government came to power democratically – “If our country changes its mind, we will do exactly what democracy needs.”
50 lakh new voters will vote for the first time in this election. One of them is Firat.
He says he is very happy to see conservatives and nationalists on the same stage as the head of the centre-left Republican People’s Party.
Here was Meral Aksener, the nationalist and only female leader of the six-party coalition, and Temel Karamollaolu, the leader of the Islamist Felicity Party.
Mr. Kuluchdarulu’s party is largely secular, but she has worked hard to get her message across to women who wear the hijab.
Tensions ran so high ahead of the vote that in his last two rallies in Ankara, Mr. Kuluchdarulu took the stage wearing bulletproof clothing.
This electoral battle has become fiercely contested.
Muharrem Ince, one of the four candidates for the presidency, withdrew from the vote on Thursday. He alleged that voters were being influenced by posting fake sex videos targeting him on social media.
The opposition blamed Russia for the videos, but a statement from the Kremlin rejected the allegations.
Mr. Erdogan – who maintains ties to Vladimir Putin – warned that “attacking Putin will not be taken well.”
Mr. Many people came to Erdoğan’s rallies with blue, orange and white AK Party flags. Those attending these gatherings seem to fully support the AK Party.
“We have built schools, universities and hospitals,” Mr. Erdoğan, who took to the stage in a green jacket, said in his speech. Changed the face of cities, extracted our own oil and gas.”
First as Prime Minister and later as President. Erdoğan’s strategy was this – big construction projects and growth. Its traces can be seen in big cities, though not so much in small towns like Sinkiang.
Mr. Erdogan’s AK Party still has strong support, but he also relies on support from the nationalist MHP and smaller parties in his People’s Alliance.
His major sources of support are conservative or nationalist Turks.
Moreover, Mr. In his speech, Erdoğan also attacked the Western world and the LGBT community.
These coalitions are important in Turkey’s political system because a party needs 7 percent of the national vote to enter parliament.
Whichever party wins the presidential election, will need to get enough support in parliament to implement its agenda.
Aysun Palali Koktas, the center-left candidate in Ankara, said that besides issues like the economy, the question of the future of Turkey’s democracy and people’s rights is equally important in this election.
“When we tweet, we don’t want to be afraid. This is what young people are asking for,” he said.
However, AK Party candidate Zehranur Aydemir believes that this government’s attitude towards young voters is very favorable.
“You will see youth at all levels of our team,” he said.
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