Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu within the second spherical of presidential elections on Sunday.
Erdogan, who has dominated the nation for greater than 20 years, might win one other 5 years after narrowly lacking out on victory within the first election on Might 14.
The incumbent president acquired 49.5% of the vote, whereas Kılıçdaroğlu received 44.8% within the first spherical. A 3rd candidate, Sinan Ogan, a determine unknown to the Turkish public, received 5.2 p.c, backed by an ultra-nationalist alliance.
Nevertheless, on account of unexpected political variations, Ogan determined to help Erdogan within the second spherical, whereas the ATA Alliance, which backed him, backed Kilicdaroglu after the deal was struck.
The rise within the nationalist vote within the first poll and the nationalist nature of the third candidate and the alliance had a big impression on the marketing campaign throughout the two-week break main as much as the second spherical.
The election agenda has shifted markedly from the crisis-hit Turkish financial system and assist following the February earthquakes that claimed the lives of tens of hundreds of individuals to matters akin to “terrorism” and the destiny of refugees within the nation.
Right here is an outline of the insurance policies, guarantees and rhetoric of the 2 candidates on key points:
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
- ‘Terror’: The President has persistently delivered harsh rhetoric towards “terrorist” teams all through the marketing campaign interval, maintaining safety excessive on the agenda in an obvious try to draw nationalist votes.
He has usually claimed that his opponent is backed by “terrorist” teams such because the Kurdistan Employees’ Celebration (PKK), which has waged a struggle for autonomy because the Eighties, and the Gülen motion, a former ally of Erdogan turned nemesis accused of a 2016 coup. . try.
All through his marketing campaign, Erdogan has said that his authorities will crush these teams.
“Our battle towards all evil networks, together with the separatist terrorist group PKK and its offshoots, will proceed resolutely,” he stated in a public handle earlier within the week, including that the PKK “can not transfer” in Turkey on account of its efforts. .
- Refugees: Erdogan promised to return about 1,000,000 Syrian refugees to their homeland after the implementation of housing tasks within the north of Syria, managed by Turkey, with out giving a particular timeframe.
He additionally stated that improved dialogue between Syria and Turkey, mediated by Russia, would assist enhance the “voluntary” return of refugees.
Erdogan has incessantly accused the opposition of discriminating towards refugees within the nation, which formally numbers 3.4 million.
Kilicdaroglu is “making an attempt to save lots of the day with hate speech,” the president stated in a latest interview.
- Financial system: Erdogan vowed to proceed his unorthodox financial insurance policies, together with maintaining rates of interest low regardless of hyperinflation and a cost-of-living disaster.
He stated he goals to carry the inflation price down to twenty p.c in 2023 and beneath 10 p.c in 2024, however added that his authorities will proceed to chop rates of interest.
“My thesis is that rates of interest and inflation are instantly proportional,” he repeated after the Might 14 elections. “The extra you narrow rates of interest, the decrease the inflation price. My principle is that curiosity is the trigger and inflation is the impact.
- Earthquake AssistErdogan has promised to supply 20-year mortgages with a two-year grace interval to survivors of the earthquake in southeastern Turkey.
His authorities intends to construct a complete of 650,000 new residences within the area and has promised to ship 319,000 of them in a 12 months.
The Turkish president additionally introduced that he would arrange key protection manufacturing services in among the war-torn provinces.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu
- “Terror”: The presidential candidate made “terrorism” certainly one of his fundamental themes throughout the two-week pause between voting.
He made remarks that the Erdogan authorities and the Gülen group had been former allies, and that Turkey and the PKK have negotiated with the president’s approval prior to now.
On tv and on social media, he vowed to battle all “terrorists.”
Terrorism will likely be fought, not negotiated. No political and authorized agreements directed towards the nationwide and unitary state construction of Turkey are allowed, ”the protocol signed on Might 24 between Kılıçdaroglu and the Victory Celebration, which led the nationalist ATA Alliance, says.
- Refugees: Kilicdaroglu stepped up anti-refugee rhetoric after the primary election, in an obvious try to draw nationalist votes.
The candidate promised to ship refugees from Turkey again to their homeland two years earlier than the primary elections in settlement with the Syrian authorities. The protocol of the Kılıçdaroğlu-Victory Celebration decreased this era to at least one 12 months.
In a YouTube present that aired earlier this week, he stated the repatriation course of would observe sure guidelines and the European Union ought to fund it due to the present refugee pact between the 2 sides.
We’ll create the infrastructure for this course of. We’ll preserve them secure [refugees’] life and property, after which ship them,” he stated.
- Financial system: Kilicdaroglu has vowed to return to conventional financial insurance policies, together with sound rates of interest, to fight the nation’s devastating hyperinflation, usually denouncing Erdogan’s low rate of interest insurance policies.
The presidential candidate stated he’ll work to draw overseas funding to Turkey as he works to create a rustic that produces high-value items.
He stated he might entice as much as $300 billion in funding from overseas, saying traders solely need to put money into democracy and confidence in Turkey.
Kilicdaroglu stated he would ban the sale of housing to overseas nationals till the housing disaster in Turkey, attributable to hyperinflation, earthquakes and different elements, is resolved for the Turks.
- Earthquake Assist: The opposition chief promised to supply free housing to earthquake survivors who misplaced their property within the catastrophe.
Kilicdaroglu stated he goals to show the quake-hit provinces into a producing base by including supplies wanted to construct new housing to be produced within the area.
“As soon as the injuries heal, this area will change into one of many largest manufacturing areas within the Mediterranean, the Center East and Africa,” he stated just lately.
