This is the man who wants to overthrow Erdogan

class=”sc-97fd9fa8-0 jNFKxv”>

Recep Tayyip Erdogan (69) wants to mark the 21st year of his power on May 14. However, according to polls, he must fear for his re-election. The opponent is Kemal Kilicdaroglu (74), former opposition member and chairman of the social democratic party CHP.

“Our biggest goal is to bring peaceful and joyful days to Turkey. With God’s help, we will all get through this together,” Kilicdaroglu said after announcing his candidacy. Political scientists are convinced that Kilicdaroglu can appeal to voters from all camps.

The anti-Erdogan

Kilicdaroglu has been a beacon of hope for almost as long as Erdogan has been in power. He succeeded in uniting the opposition. Five years ago, he organized a three-week, 400-kilometer “Justice March” from Ankara to Istanbul. This not only earned him popularity but also the nickname “Mahatma Gandhi of Turkey” which is pregnant with meaning.

In all the years that Kilicdaroglu has been in the public eye, he has never been associated with scandals, which counts for a lot in Turkey. As the child of a poor Alevi family, he is also much closer to the people than Erdogan with his pomp and circumstance.

Kilicdaroglu also forms a stark contrast to Erdogan on other points: he supports Turkey’s EU membership and actively speaks out against corruption and favoritism. His calm demeanor – another contrast to his aggressive competitor – could give him an edge in the election campaign. The desire of Turkish society for an alternative is becoming increasingly apparent. Especially after the earthquake and the economic crisis, she needs someone who is understanding and hopeful. Someone who understands people stands behind them.

The dark side

But not all of Erdogan’s opponents see Kilicdaroglu as the man who can beat the current president. He has never won elections at the national level, has little charisma and threatened to split the six-party coalition.

With the appointment of Kilicdaroglu, a phase of months of disagreement between the coalition parties has come to an end. Most recently, the political thriller led to the split of Meral Aksener (66) and the second largest opposition party from the alliance of Erdogan’s opponents. She suggested Ekrem Imamoglu (52) and Mansur Yavas (67), the respective mayors of Istanbul and Ankara, as alternatives. In her view, having Kilicdaroglu as a candidate would result in the opposition losing the election.

On Monday, the Iyi Parti (“The Good Guys”) party returned — on the condition that Imamoglu and Yavas be nominated as candidates for the vice presidency.

Test for Erdogan

It is not yet clear whether the dispute has harmed the alliance, Welt writes. Observers fear that the discord within the six-party opposition group will only benefit Erdogan. Erdogan has been gaining ground in polls for months – even though his approval ratings are significantly lower than when he was in power.

And the poll numbers for the CHP are still below those of the Erdogan party, the AKP. Social Democrat Kilicdaroglu refuses to be intimidated. A few weeks ago, he predicted the political downfall of Erdogan and the rise of his own era. “I’ll tell you a fact he can’t deny: tyrants always leave eventually.”

Source: Blick