Tensions are high over Turkey’s elections. Turks will choose ‘Iron Man’ Erdogan or ‘Turkey’s Gandhi’ Kuluchdarulu. It will be determined in the presidential election tomorrow Sunday. It is said that President Erdoğan is going to face one of the toughest electoral tests in his political career. BBC news
Opposition candidate Kemal Kuluchdarulu has thrown a tough challenge in front of the Turkish president. He represents the ‘Table and Six’, a coalition of six opposition parties. Several other anti-government groups have also announced their support for Kuluchdarulu.
This is why the 74-year-old former government official has become a major headache for Erdogan.
Eight percent of those voting in this election are ‘first-time voters’ who are voting for the first time.
Many consider this group to be the largest of the undecided groups in Turkey.
In the presidential election campaign, all the candidates have tried to win the hearts of young voters. Erdoğan has emphasized progress in the defense and technology sectors, but opposition candidate Külüçdarülü has promised more freedom and better employment.
“If Recep Tayyip Erdogan wins again, our lives will become a nightmare,” said Perit, 23, a student in Istanbul.
He spent nearly two months in jail for taking part in protests against the appointment of a pro-government dean at Boazici University, a prestigious Turkish educational institution.
Emru alleges that rampant inflation is making life increasingly difficult for young people like them in Turkey. According to the government, this rate of inflation currently stands at 44 percent.
The country’s fragile economic situation is largely blamed on the policies adopted by President Erdoğan.
Emru says, ‘You can’t just make a living by studying, you also have to get a full-time job to survive.’
His girlfriend Sood also said she plans to vote for the opposition candidate in Sunday’s parliamentary and presidential elections.
But 20-year-old Salih is clear about who he will vote for. He said, ‘I think Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a charismatic leader. It is important to have such charisma in Turkish politics.’
Two other candidates are running for president: center-left nationalist Muharram Inge and right-wing nationalist Sinan Wan.
Recent opinion polls have shown that both candidates appeal to young voters.
Therefore, the supporters of the main opposition alliance fear that the presidential election may turn into a second round of voting if the votes of Kuluchadarulu are divided.
If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, a second round of elections will be held two weeks later.
And if anyone gets more than half of the votes in Sunday’s election, he will be directly elected president.
It is believed that who the women voters will vote for in this election will also play a major role in determining victory or defeat.
