Turkey: on the eve of presidential elections, Erdogan wants to crush his opponent

Caroline Baudry, editing by Alexandre Dalifard / Photo credit: JEFF J MITCHELL / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP 19:43 p.m., May 13, 2023

In Turkey, on the eve of the presidential elections, Erdogan is more threatened than ever. When the polls open on Sunday, this vote may well turn into a referendum for or against the outgoing president. Erdogan and his authoritarian regime face a united opposition led by Kemal Kiliçdaroglu. To try to convince once again, the president held a surprise rally in the streets of Istanbul on Saturday. His 40th and last of this campaign during which he once again wanted to crush his opponent.

"Bye bye Kemal"

The crowd is small but compact on a stage set up in a narrow street. At this meeting, Erdogan, looking tired, attacked his Social Democratic opponent, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu. "Bye bye Kemal. His coalition collaborates with Kurdish terrorists in northern Iraq. We will not let it divide the country. On Sunday, God willing, we will prove it. The ballots will overflow the ballot boxes," he said on Saturday.

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On the spot, the images of the face of his rival scroll on giant screens, he who must now wear a bulletproof vest to move. Families are wrapped in Turkish flags and smoke bombs invade a small square. Present at the meeting, Ramazan and his friends are counting on a 56% victory of their candidate. "We were a third world country. Now, thanks to Erdogan, everything is moving forward in Turkey. We have drones, aircraft carriers, all of that. Erdogan is not only the Turkish leader, he is also the leader of the world. It will bring together divided Muslims," they said. Erdogan ends his meeting at Hagia Sophia, the basilica he turned into a mosque.