Kilicdaroglu’s videos are echoing in some opinion polls, which indicate his progress in the presidential race, which is due to start on May 14, in an intense confrontation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
And on his Twitter account, which has more than 10 million followers, on April 19 he posted a video entitled “Alawi”, in which he spoke of the sect to which he belongs, and his aspiration for equality between citizens on the basis of citizenship. .
The video, which some considered to flirt with so-called minority groups, enjoyed great circulation, with around 36 million views, and its reach of more than 114 million people.
At the same time, he wins the support of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party for his candidacy, overcoming previous clashes between the Kurds and the Republican People’s Party led by Kilicdaroglu, and considers himself faithful to the heritage of the nation’s founder. . -state, Kemal Atatürk, which officially comes into conflict with the spread of non-Turkish identities.
Who is Kilicdaroglu?
He was born on December 17, 1948 in the city of Nazimye, Tunceli province, eastern Anatolia. He graduated from the Ankara Academy of Economic and Business Studies in 1971. He worked at the Social Security Corporation in 1992 and served as its general manager between 1997 and 1999. He started his political activity in 2002 by joining the Republican People’s Party, with its strong secular leanings. He stood in the legislative elections in 2002 and again in 2007 and won a seat in Istanbul. In 2010, the General Assembly of the Republican People’s Party elected him party chairman. In 2023, it secured the broadest agreement among major opposition parties on a unified candidate for the presidential elections. So far, he has managed to save the opposition Ummah Alliance, made up of 6 parties belonging to different currents, from disintegration, despite disagreements among its members over potential presidential candidates in the first months of the year.
strong fortunes
According to Turkish political analyst Hisham Gunay, Kilicdaroglu has a strong chance of rivaling Erdogan, thanks to the unity of the opposition coalition behind him.
He also tells ‘Sky News Arabia’ about other reasons for the support he has gotten so far:
He appreciates the acceptance of being a bureaucrat who is not involved in corrupt affairs and who is not suspicious. It is based on a conciliatory rhetoric and demonstrates respect for differences in society. The opposition is betting on the deterioration of the economic situation against the ruling party. A new generation of young people will vote for the first time, and the opposition is betting on it. The HDP’s declaration of support is a strength; The Kurds form an electoral bloc of no less than 10%.
election promises
Klitchdar makes generous promises to voters, sometimes based on what the opposition sees as a “failure” of the ruling party on certain issues, and among these promises:
Restore the current presidential system of government to the parliamentary system that was before 2018. Resume negotiations with the European Union on Turkey’s joining the bloc. Restoring relations with Syria to provide a safe environment that encourages the voluntary return of Syrian refugees, especially with growing anger in Turkey over their presence. He says he will direct the country’s foreign policy differently if he succeeds in gaining the presidency.
Kilicdaroglu attributes the country’s economic difficulties to Erdogan’s policies, particularly with inflation reaching 50%.
Those who wish to reappoint Erdogan are responding to Kılıçdaroğlu’s promises that generous promises during this time do not necessarily mean the ability to deliver, especially against the backdrop of an inadequate international economy, in which even the world’s largest economies are suffering.
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