March 29, 2024

Türkiye: Kemal Kilicdaroglu challenges Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Kemal Kilicdaroglu

“We will get rid of him” – this is the man who wants to overthrow Erdogan

Turkey’s presidential elections on Sunday promise to be more exciting than they have been in a long time. Kemal Kilicdaroglu could replace Recep Tayyip Erdogan as president after 20 years.

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Kemal Kilicdaroglu (74) is the head of the Social Democratic Republican People’s Party and a candidate of a six-party coalition.

Pictures by IMAGO/Depo

  • Kemal Kilicdaroglu has a good chance of winning the presidential elections in Türkiye.

  • He wants to send the current Erdogan “in a democratic way to retire.”

  • In an interview, Erdogan confirmed that he would concede possible defeat in the elections.

Strengthening democracy, fighting inflation and corruption, and a tougher immigration policy – this is what the opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu declares (74). presents himself as Proposal against Rajab ok Erdogan: Quiet instead of eloquent appearances and campaign videos from a simple kitchen instead of launching big projects.

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Nor is Kilicdaroglu a new face for the Turks. He has been at the helm of the largest opposition party, the CHP, for 13 years, but has not had any success in the national elections. Therefore, his candidacy was controversial at first. both of them Local elections 2019 The opposition succeeded in wresting the important capitals of Istanbul and Ankara from the government after two decades. Kilicdaroglu can claim success thanks to smart alliances.

He wants to abolish the presidential system

Kilicdaroglu has now brought together six parties from different camps: from the nationalist, the conservative and the religious to his own secular, centre-left Republican People’s Party. He is also supported by the left-wing, pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), which is considered the kingmaker. Everyone wants to abolish the presidential system and return Türkiye to a parliamentary democracy.

Kilicdaroglu was born in Tunceli, eastern Türkiye, and belongs to the Alevi religious minority. He worked as a bureaucrat in the civil service. And the image of the colorless bureaucrat still lingers on him. The profile is now optimized and has a good chance of winning. “We will get rid of him and send him into retirement in a democratic way,” said the man, who wants to replace Erdogan after 20 years in power, in an interview with the German news magazine Stern. Kilicdaroglu said confidently that Erdogan knows this very well.

“Don’t take your eyes off the ballot box”

In an interview broadcast by several Turkish television channels on Friday, Erdogan vowed to concede a possible electoral defeat. When Erdogan was asked what he would do in case of defeat, he initially replied that this was a “very stupid question.” He added, “We came to power democratically and with the support of our people: if our nation takes a different decision, we will do what democracy requires. There is nothing else that can be done.”

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Meanwhile, opposition leader Kilicdaroglu pleaded with his supporters not to take their eyes off the polls. “Never give up and never leave your post,” he said in a video posted to Twitter. He said there had been threats against election workers, without elaborating. The election campaign has recently reached its climax. Stones were thrown at a popular opposition politician last Sunday, and a number of people were injured.

Opinion polls indicate a race between Erdogan and his rival.

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(DPA / AFP / Post)View comments