TURKEY: Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a former government worker who is currently competing in the Presidential election, promises to bring freedom and democracy to Turkey if elected with the support of a six-party opposition alliance.
The 74-year-old head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has declared that people have the right to criticise the President openly, and some of his supporters worry about his safety. Still, he claims it is par for the course. The election is expected to move on to the second round.
The 69-year-old President Erdogan has made fun of his opponent in the past, but now he is more difficult to ignore. The opposition candidate is determined to pursue a career in politics in Turkey, regardless of what Erdogan and his allies do.
The opposition candidate, Kilicdaroglu, arrives for a rally in Izmir, a stronghold of the opposition. He promised to realign Turkey and give the West priority in its ties, and according to him, Erdogan does not believe in free speech and judicial independence. “The difference between black and white is the difference between us and Erdogan,” he added.
Kilicdaroglu said to the media, “Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in office for 20 years, but if he loses, will he concede defeat quietly?”
Kemal Kilicdaroglu has declared that he will retire the current President and send him to his corner, but others are not as certain. Suleyman Soylu has warned that the vote will be a coup attempt by the West, and the combined opposition would exercise caution and have no faith in the President.
The election campaign has been putting in a lot of effort to ensure that votes are cast accurately, securely, and correctly. The challenger has filmed campaign videos, warning that costs would continue to rise if Erdogan continued in power.
Kilicdaroglu warned that a kilogramme of onions now costs 30 liras, but if Erdogan stays, it will cost 100 lire. He made a heart emoji for the crowd, and his own rally on the Izmir waterfront attracted a large crowd.
As per opinion polls, Turkey is facing an election with two worldviews, with Kilicdaroglu likely to win the presidency, and his alliance is likely to prevail in the House of Representatives.
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