Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will face opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the important thing presidential election run-off on Sunday.
Erdogan, who has dominated the nation for greater than 20 years, is favoured to win for 5 extra years after he marginally missed victory within the first polls on Might 14.
The incumbent president obtained 49.5 p.c of the votes, whereas Kilicdaroglu scored 44.8 p.c within the first run. A 3rd candidate, Sinan Ogan, who’s an unfamiliar determine to the Turkish public, took 5.2 p.c with the assist of an ultranationalist alliance.
Nevertheless, in an unexpected political disagreement, Ogan opted to assist Erdogan within the run-off whereas the ATA Alliance that backed him threw its weight behind Kilicdaroglu after reaching a deal.
The rise in nationalist votes within the first vote and the nationalistic nature of the third candidate and alliance have had a major impact on election campaigning through the two-week interlude earlier than the run-off.
The election agenda has visibly moved from the crisis-hit Turkish economic system and aid from the February earthquakes that killed tens of 1000’s of individuals to subjects reminiscent of “terrorism” and the destiny of refugees within the nation.
Here’s a roundup of the 2 candidate’s insurance policies, guarantees and rhetoric on key points:
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- ‘Terror’: The president has persistently pursued sharp rhetoric in opposition to “terrorist” teams all through the campaigning interval, maintaining safety points excessive on the agenda in an obvious try to draw nationalist votes.
He regularly claimed his opponent is supported by “terror” teams such because the Kurdistan Employees’ Celebration (PKK), which has waged struggle for the reason that Nineteen Eighties for autonomy, and the Gulen motion, Erdogan’s former ally turned arch-enemy accused of a 2016 coup try.
All through his marketing campaign, Erdogan has mentioned his authorities will crush these teams.
“Our struggle in opposition to all evil networks, together with the separatist terrorist organisation PKK and its extensions will proceed with dedication,” he mentioned in a public handle earlier within the week, including the PKK “couldn’t transfer” in Turkey any extra due to his efforts.
- Refugees: Erdogan has promised to return some a million Syrian refugees to their homeland after implementing housing tasks in Turkey-controlled northern Syria, with out giving a selected timeline.
He additionally mentioned enhancing dialogue between Syria and Turkey by Russian mediation efforts will assist enhance the “voluntary” return of refugees.
Erdogan has usually accused the opposition of being discriminatory in opposition to the refugees within the nation, which, in line with official numbers, hosts 3.4 million of them.
Kilicdaroglu “is attempting to save lots of the day with hate speech”, the president mentioned in a current interview.
- Economic system: Erdogan has pledged to proceed along with his unorthodox financial insurance policies, together with maintaining rates of interest low regardless of hyperinflation and a cost-of-living disaster.
He has mentioned he goals to drag the inflation degree down to twenty p.c in 2023 and beneath 10 p.c in 2024, however added his authorities would preserve lowering rates of interest.
“I’ve a thesis that rates of interest and inflation are straight proportional,” he repeated after the Might 14 polls. “The extra you decrease rates of interest, the decrease the inflation price. My principle right here is that curiosity is the trigger, inflation is the impact.”
- Earthquake aid: Erdogan has promised to present quake survivors in southeastern Turkey with residence loans with a 20-year maturity and a two-year grace interval.
His authorities goals to construct a complete of 650,000 new flats within the area and promised to ship 319,000 of those in a single yr.
The Turkish president additionally introduced he’ll arrange key defence trade manufacturing amenities in a few of the temblor-hit provinces.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu
- ‘Terror’: The presidential contender has made “terrorism” one in every of his prime subjects through the two-week pause between votes.
He has made remarks on how Erdogan’s authorities and the Gulen organisation had been former allies, and Turkey and the PKK held talks with the president’s approval prior to now.
On tv and social media, he pledged to struggle all “terrorists”.
“Terrorism can be fought, not negotiated. No political and authorized association concentrating on Turkey’s nationwide and unitary state construction can be allowed,” mentioned a Might 24 protocol signed between Kilicdaroglu and the Victory Celebration, which led the nationalist ATA Alliance.
- Refugees: Kilicdaroglu has elevated anti-refugee rhetoric after the primary polls in an obvious try to draw nationalist votes.
The candidate promised to ship refugees in Turkey again to their homeland in two years earlier than the primary election by an settlement with the Syrian authorities. The Kilicdaroglu-Victory Celebration protocol decreased this to at least one yr.
In a YouTube present aired earlier this week, he mentioned the repatriation course of can be carried out by sure guidelines, and the European Union ought to fund it due to a present refugee pact between the 2 sides.
“We are going to create the infrastructure for this course of. We are going to guarantee safety of their [refugees’] lives and properties after which ship them,” he mentioned.
- Economic system: Kilicdaroglu has pledged to carry again typical financial insurance policies, together with rational rates of interest, to struggle crippling hyperinflation within the nation, regularly condemning Erdogan’s coverage of low rates of interest.
The presidential candidate has mentioned he’ll work to draw overseas funding for Turkey as he works to create a rustic manufacturing high-value merchandise.
He claimed he might entice as a lot as $300bn in funding from overseas, saying traders solely need democracy and confidence in Turkey to take a position.
Kilicdaroglu has mentioned he’ll ban residence gross sales to overseas residents till Turkey’s housing disaster, pushed by hyperinflation, earthquakes and different components, is settled for Turks.
- Earthquake aid: The opposition chief has promised to offer free housing for earthquake survivors who misplaced their property within the catastrophe.
Kilicdaroglu has mentioned he goals to rework earthquake-hit provinces into a producing base, including supplies wanted to construct new housing can be manufactured within the area.
“As soon as the injuries are healed, this area will change into one of many largest manufacturing areas within the Mediterranean, the Center East and Africa,” he not too long ago mentioned.
