Rémi Trieau / Photo credit: BURAK KARA / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP 08:08, 08 May 2023

In seven days' time the Turkish presidential election will take place. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the incumbent candidate, is running for a third term, but facing him is a formidable opponent at the head of a coalition of six parties: Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Europe 1 analyzes these two men who are opposed to everything.

For 20 years, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ruled Turkey. If the president is running for a third term, this time he faces a united opposition behind his rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who heads a coalition of six parties. Two men neck and neck according to the polls, with very different styles. The Turkish presidential election takes place this Sunday, May 14 and promises to be eventful.

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On the one hand, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promises his voters a powerful Turkey that respects the West. The head of state who came to power as Prime Minister in 2003 promises major projects: airports, bridges and gas extraction. The 69-year-old candidate also touts the successes of Turkey's defense industry, including Bayraktar TB2 drones that have become the symbol of a nationalist and ultra-conservative campaign. And yet, the outgoing president is divisive. He attacks LGBT communities, he defends the sanctity of the family and Islamic moral values.

Against him, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu is a serious opponent. The 74-year-old opponent is attacking his opponent's economic record, including the terrible inflation that hits the middle classes. He also denounces the management of the earthquake of 6 February and corruption in the construction sector. The opponent vows to restore democracy through a return to a parliamentary system and an independent judiciary. Finally, he assures that he will expel in two years the millions of Syrian refugees in Turkey.