Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Kemal Kilicdaroglu: Meet the man who wants to end the Erdogan era and transform Turkey

Kemal Kilicdaroglu: Meet the man who wants to end the Erdogan era and transform Turkey

The 74-year-old positions himself as the polar opposite of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - a quiet man who seeks consensus, so the story goes, rather than an abrasive bombast. He says that if elected he will spend a month compiling a "damage report" on his country.

In Turkey, politics is complex, sensitive and divisive - and if you want to know what that looks like, there's no better place to witness it than a market stall in the bustling city of Bursa.

We're here asking people about Sunday's election, when Recep Tayyip Erdogan will seek to extend his two-decade-long grip on power. And here, among the colours and fragrances of the food stalls, many like him.

"He is a good leader, I'll be voting for him," says one man. Another tells me he would vote for Mr Erdogan 10 million times over, if only he could. A third says Mr Erdogan has made Turkey into a great country and stood up to America.

It's all smiles until we ask one young man, who admits he's unhappy with the economy, that prices are rising too fast, and that he'll vote for someone else. No sooner are the words out of his mouth than a man rushes up to us and starts shouting. The scent of dissent has proved combustible. The atmosphere had changed.

We are, it seems, now guilty of meddling where we don't belong. "We have a good leader, we don't need anyone different," the man says. He tells us we're provoking trouble and then, stridently, he orders us to go away. Alongside him, a woman is also giving us an earful. Foreign journalists, asking questions.

Mr Erdogan remains popular in Turkey


In this country, Mr Erdogan is the great divider. You cannot be indifferent about him, and nor can you ignore him. His presence is everywhere, for he has personally reshaped the economy, the political system, the judiciary and the media. And, for good measure, there are posters of him all over the place.

But his hold on power may be weakening. On Sunday, Turkey will go to the polls to elect a new president, as well as vote for its parliament. It will be close but Mr Erdogan, after 20 years in charge, is now facing the significant possibility of a defeat that could have seismic repercussions.

Pitched against him is a group of opposition parties who have coalesced around one single aspiration - to dump Erdogan from power. And leading that coalition is Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

That's why we're in Bursa - to meet Mr Kilicdaroglu. The man who wants to reshape Turkey.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu during a rally in Ankara


The polar opposite of Erdogan


Mr Kilicdaroglu is finding international fame at the age of 74. He positions himself as the polar opposite of Mr Erdogan - a quiet man who seeks consensus, so the story goes, rather than an abrasive bombast.

We meet in the relative peace of his bus. Through the window, he can see thousands of people gathering to hear him speak and holding posters of his face. We shake hands and sit down. Mr Kilicdaroglu, who does not speak English, is smiling broadly.

Supporters of Mr Kilicdaroglu make his familiar sign - a heart shape made with his two hands


I point to the people gathering outside. Is expectation becoming a burden?

"I am not the only one who feels the pressure," he replies. "If hundreds and thousands of people have come together, it is to react to the pressure because there are serious problems in the economy and these problems make society restless."

But does he really want to be president, or does he simply want to thwart Mr Erdogan, I wonder.

"There is real damage inflicted on the founding pillars of the country," he insists. "The main pillars of democracy, which are the legislature, the judiciary and the executive, are also seriously damaged. We want to fix this. I want to be the president and I really want to make Turkey a democratic country."

Supporters of Mr Kilicdaroglu hold a rally in Bursa


'Damage report'


He says that, if elected, he will spend a month compiling a "damage report" on his country. "We do not know what our earnings are, what our costs are, what our liabilities are." It is a picture of misrule that he paints repeatedly - of a country that has become subsidiary to the interests of its leader.

Even if he does win, it will be by a slender margin. Mr Erdogan remains popular, often wildly so, with many in this country, particularly those who think Mr Kilicdaroglu is beguiled by the secular countries of the West.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan hopes he will extend his two-decade-long grip on power

Mr Erdogan's supporters say he has made Turkey into a great country and stood up to America


So, after two decades when his country has become ever more distanced from Europe, Britain and America, how does Mr Kilicdaroglu plan to redefine Turkey's place in the world? It is the question that has bothered leaders and diplomats for months now.

"We want to be a part of the West and the civilized world," he tells me. "We want democracy in our country. We do not want an authoritarian leadership, we want freedom. Young people and women are fed up, they also want freedom.

"Therefore, we will be implementing all the democratic rules of the European Union to our country. Our relationship with the West will develop in a democratic way. Our ties will be even stronger. We will maintain our relations with Russia as they were in the past because many Turkish businessmen have investments there. But we are against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and we do not find it acceptable."

I ask him if Turkey would change its stance on NATO if he wins - would he reverse Mr Erdogan's objections and allow Sweden to join? "It will happen," comes the reply.

The latest polls have Mr Kilicdaroglu predicted to win around half the vote


Erdogan 'is already playing dirty tricks'


The election is now within touching distance. There are persistent rumours of Mr Erdogan using the apparatus of the state to either manipulate the result or intimidate voters. So is Mr Kilicdaroglu worried about "dirty tricks"?

"He is already playing dirty tricks. I have never seen a man do this as much as he does in my life. He distorts the facts and slanders. But whatever he does, the people will choose me." He doesn't accuse him of corruption but says Mr Erdogan "is very fond of money".

A rally for Mr Kilicdaroglu


'I will be the president for all of Turkey'


A victory for Mr Kilicdaroglu would be an extraordinary result, but also a towering challenge - to unite his nation, repair the economy, restore the structures of democracy, reconnect with bruised allies and somehow bridge the chasm to Mr Erdogan's voters.

"I will be the president for all of Turkey, for all 85 million people," he says. But what of those who don't like him, I ask. "If there is a good leadership, no looking down on people, and you treat all citizens equally, and if you bring justice to all who seek justice, if the state is transparent, if you're able to account for all the taxes collected, they will see what a good leader is, they will come to our side."

Our time is up. A huge crowd waits for him and, shortly, he will bound on to the stage and make his familiar sign - a heart shape made with his two hands. But for the moment, he simply thanks us and shakes hands. "Will you win on Sunday?" I ask, as we walk. "Oh yes," comes the reply. And he smiles, broadly.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Budapest Post
Close
0:00
0:00
Spain soccer kiss: Furore grows as prosecutors launch probe against federation chief
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Greek PM offers tourists affected by wildfires a free stay in Rhodes next year.
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
How “peacekeepers” at the UN spend our American tax dollars.
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
Swedish Embassy in Baghdad Engulfed in Flames Amidst a Firestorm of Protests
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Muslim Tycoon Asif Aziz Receives Approval for the Transformation of the iconic London Trocadero Landmark into Mosque
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Hospitalized Due to Dehydration Amidst Summer Heatwave
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
×