Hamdi Firat BuyukSarajevoBIRNMay 12, 202308:25After 21 years in power, President Erdogan and his party face the greatest challenge ever to their rule on Sunday in parliamentary and presidential elections against a united opposition bloc.
Supporters of the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan take a part in a choreography during a ‘Unity, Will, Victory’ rally at Galatasaray’s Nef Stadium in Istanbul, 27 November 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN
Turkish citizens will go to the polls on Sunday to decide the fate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP, which face their toughest election ever against a united democratic opposition.
As President Erdogan finds himself in troubled waters after ruling the country for 21 years, the political atmosphere is tense and both sides predict victory.
“We will not let Kilicdaroglu divide this country,” Erdogan told supporters at a grandiose election rally on May 7 in Istanbul.
Fears of election fraud and a possible move by Erdogan not to recognise the results in case of defeat are also high.
“He would do that with ease,” Erdogan’s main rival, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People’s Party, CHP, warned in a TV interview on Wednesday. He added that his party and allies have been working on election safety for more than a year.
More than 64 million Turkish citizens are eligible to vote on Sunday. They will choose between four presidential candidates and 36 parties in 87 electoral districts.
Polls show the race is tight between Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu for the presidency. The race between their respective People’s Alliance and Nation Alliance for a majority in parliament is also neck-and-neck.
If no candidate wins more than 50 per cent of total votes on Sunday, there will be a second round of presidential elections on May 28.
Erdogan has been ruling the country since 2002, first as prime minister and later as President.
Under Erdogan, Turkey has changed dramatically. During his first ten years, the country became an EU candidate, started long overdue reforms, the economy boomed, and Turkey became a valued partner for the West.
In his second decade, almost everything went downhill. The country moved away from the EU and the West, the economy was shattered, and rights, freedoms and the rule of law all sank to their lowest level in Turkey’s recent history.
The twin earthquakes of February 6 were another major blow to Erdogan’s image and administration. As quakes registering 7.9 and 7.7 on the Richter scale killed more than 50,000 people and left millions homeless, Erdogan’s government faced fierce criticism over its slow and ineffective response.
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