Turkish elections 2023: Kilicdaroglu, Erdogan’s rival, promises peace and democracy

Kilicdaroglu is Erdogan’s main rival in the May 14 elections and has a narrow lead in opinion polls. This intense rivalry is expected to witness a second round in two weeks.

Currently, Turks can go to jail for “insulting the president”. This has already happened to many people.

“I tell young people that they can criticize me freely. I will make sure they have this right,” said Kilicdaroglu, 74, who leads the main opposition Republican People’s Party.

Some Kilicdaroglu supporters fear for his safety but he says that is the way things are.

“Doing politics in Turkey means choosing a life full of dangers. I will follow my path no matter what Erdogan and his allies do. They cannot keep me away. They cannot intimidate me. I made a promise to this nation.”

President Erdogan, 69, has mocked his rival in the past, saying he “can’t even herd a sheep”. But it’s hard to rule it out now.

Upon arriving for a rally in the opposition stronghold of the coastal city of Izmir, the opposition candidate is greeted by a sea of ​​flag-waving supporters.

“Kilijdaroglu is the hope of the people,” chants were chanted. Many in the crowd are young people. Five million Turks will vote for the first time in this election.

Oğuz is 15 years old, too young to go to the polls but he couldn’t lag behind the rally. “He’s a good person,” he says, “and he sees the future positively. If he becomes president, our economy will rise, and we will rise.”

Kilicdaroglu told me before the gathering that he would reorient Turkey, prioritizing relations with the West, not the Kremlin.

“We want to become part of the civilized world,” he said. “We want a free media and complete judicial independence.” . Erdogan does not think this way. He wants to be more authoritarian. The difference between us and Erdogan is the difference between black and white.”

But will Recep Tayyip Erdogan quietly go away if he is defeated after 20 years in power that began as prime minister and is now a powerful president?

“We will retire him and send him to his corner,” Kilicdaroglu said. “He will retreat quietly. No one should worry about that.”

Others aren’t sure. There are indications that the Turkish leader may be preparing to challenge the result if he loses. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu warned that the vote would be “a coup attempt on the part of the West.”

Kilicdaroglu said that the joint opposition will be vigilant, and do not trust the president, “nor his Supreme Election Council, nor his judges.”

“By having more than one observer at all polling stations, we want to ensure that votes are cast correctly and safely, and that counting takes place accurately. We have taken the necessary precautions to achieve this, working hard for a year and a half.”

In many ways, Kilicdaroglu is different from Erdogan. He recorded campaign videos on his modest kitchen table, with several tea towels hanging in the background.

He appeared in a video clip holding an onion in his hand, warning that prices would continue to rise if Erdogan remained in power. He said, “Now a kilo of onions is worth 30 lira. If Erdogan remains in power, it will become 100 lira.”

The president’s economic policies are blamed for rampant inflation here. Whoever wins will inherit a shattered economy and a divided nation. There is no silver bullet to either.

On stage, Kilicdaroglu is flanked by other opposition leaders, who makes a heart sign, which he has made a symbol of his campaign. He says: “Everything will be fine. Believe me.” And they believe him.

But his rally on the Izmir waterfront came just one day after a large pro-president rally that was segregated by the sexes.

Many religious conservatives will stick to it. speaks their language. He bolstered his support with pre-election spending, and invested in wage increases as well.

As polling day approaches, there is an underlying tension.

Many of the debates touch on elections and concerns, and Türkiye faces a stark choice between two competing visions.

And a new opinion poll showed that Kilicdaroglu would win the presidency, but the president’s coalition was ahead in the race for parliament.

With elections approaching and things on the edge of a knife, no one can be sure if the coming weeks will pass peacefully.