![]() ![]() A former economy and foreign minister, he was well regarded by foreign investors. He formed the Deva (Remedy) Party and urged reforms to boost the rule of law and democracy. DEVA PARTY LEADER ALI BABACANīabacan, 55, is an ex-deputy prime minister and former close ally of Erdogan who quit the AKP in 2019 over differences about its direction. HDP, which announced it will support Kilicdaroglu's candidacy, will run under the Green Left Party in the parliamentary vote to circumvent its potential closure ahead of elections. Demirtas faces a potential life sentence in a case in which he has been charged with instigating 2014 protests in which dozens died. FORMER HDP LEADER SELAHATTIN DEMIRTASįormer leader of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtas, 49, remains a key political figure despite being in jail since 2016. She appeals to conservative voters and those disenchanted with the MHP's alliance with the AKP. She has risen to greater prominence since 2016, when she was expelled from the MHP after mounting an unsuccessful bid to oust Bahceli. OPPOSITION FIGURES: IYI PARTY LEADER MERAL AKSENERįormer interior minister Meral Aksener, 66, leads the second-largest party in the opposition alliance, the centrist and nationalist IYI Party. A hatred of the PKK and a hardline stance against pro-Kurdish parties is a key part of Bahceli's discourse. Previously a staunch opponent of Erdogan, Bahceli's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) began to work with the president and his AKP after a 2016 attempted coup. Ultranationalist leader Devlet Bahceli, 75, has helped Erdogan keep his grip on power after supporting his bid to switch to an executive presidency in a 2017 referendum. ![]() He launched an unsuccessful bid for leadership of the MHP in 2015 and was subsequently expelled from the party.ĮRDOGAN ALLIES: MHP LEADER DEVLET BAHCELI A former academic who established the think tank TURKSAM, he entered parliament in 2011 with the far-right MHP. Sinan Ogan, 55, has little prospect of victory. He has struck an inclusive tone as he has sought to attract voters disillusioned by Erdogan's rhetoric and perceived economic mismanagement, promising economic prosperity as well as greater respect for human rights and rule of law. Long stuck in Erdogan's shadow, he has failed to close the gap with the AKP in parliamentary elections since he took the center-left CHP's reins in 2010.Ī former civil servant, Kilicdaroglu entered parliament in 2002 with the CHP, which was established by modern Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and has struggled to reach beyond its secularist grassroots towards conservatives. Kilicdaroglu, 74, head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), was named the six-party opposition alliance's presidential candidate in March. On the campaign trail, Erdogan has sought to sway voters by promoting big infrastructure and construction projects, showcasing Turkey's industrial milestones, and warning of chaos in government in the event of an opposition win. He has shaped the country to his vision of a pious, conservative society and assertive regional player, even as critics say he has used the courts to crack down on dissent. Turkey's longest-serving leader logged more than a dozen election victories and survived an attempted coup in 2016. At the height of his success, Turkey enjoyed a protracted economic boom with rising living standards for its 85 million people. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: PRESIDENT TAYYIP ERDOGANĮrdogan, 69, rose to power 20 years ago as Turkey emerged from a period of rampant inflation, promising sound government after the coalition of the time was accused of mismanagement. Only three candidates remain in the race for president after Muharrem Ince, representing a small party, withdrew.įollowing are descriptions of key figures in the presidential and parliamentary elections: The secularist CHP and five other parties form an opposition alliance that is expected to get support from the main Kurdish party HDP, giving it an edge in some polls. If no candidate secures more than half of the votes in the first round, a May 28 runoff will be held between the two leading candidates.Įrdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party counts the nationalist MHP as its main ally. ![]() Surveys show Kilicdaroglu ahead of him in the first round of voting. ISTANBUL, May 12 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan will put his two-decade rule on the line on May 14 when he faces opposition challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Turkey's landmark elections. ![]()
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