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The 74-year-old Kilicdaroglu is a quiet, soft-spoken figure. An apt phrase to encapsulate his image is a slogan from Franois Mitterrands 1981French presidential election campaign: la force tranquille (a force of calm).

While little-known on the international stage until this presidential run, Kilicdaroglu has been a prominent figure in Turkish politics for years. After working as a senior civil servant in Turkeys finance ministry, Kilicdaroglu was elected as MP for an Istanbul seat in 2022, representing the CHP, the party created by modern Turkey's founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Hes the absolute antithesis of Erdogan in terms of personality as well as politics, Marc Semo, a Le Monde journalist and ex-Turkey correspondent, told FRANCE 24s Le Dbat show.

Kilicdaroglus austere, intellectual style is the antithesis of Erdogans flamboyant strongman brand of leadership

Kilicdaroglu is often criticised for his lack of charisma, observed Didier Billion, a Turkey specialist and deputy director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs. Yes, he doesnt have Erdogan's charisma but thats not really a problem in this campaign, because Erdogan has been such a polarising figure in Turkey for years now. In this context, a big proportion of the electorate wants things to calm down.

A lack of charisma is sometimes its own form of charisma, Semo noted. Kilicdaroglu speaks like everybody else, making it hard to get mad at him as his wife points out. At a time of deep divisions in Turkish society, that is a really appealing asset, Semo said.

Changing the CHP

Kilicdaroglu first made a big name for himself as CHP vice-president in 2007, when he denounced corruption in Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Two years later, he lost the Istanbul mayoral race to the AKPs Kadir Topbas but still pulled off the CHPs best city hall performance since the partys last Istanbul mayor was elected in the late 1970s. Meanwhile Kilicdaroglus resemblance to Mahatma Gandhi and similarly softly-spoken demeanour earned him the nickname Turkish Gandhi.

Kilicdaroglu then ran for the 2010 CHP leadership contest and won in a landslide, with 1,189 votes out of the 1,250 cast by party delegates. In his first speech as CHP leader, Kilicdaroglu said his top priority was to get rid of poverty in Turkey.

>> Read more : Looking back at 20 years of Recep Tayyip Erdogan in power

Slowly but surely, Kilicdaroglu softened the CHPs axiomatic Kemalism Ataturks authoritarian secularism, which was hegemonic in Turkey until the AKP took over in 2003. This was no easy feat, Billon suggested, as the CHP is very dogmatic; very attached to Kemalist orthodoxy.

But to make the CHP more appealing to the millions of socially conservative Muslim voters who supported Erdogan, Kilicdaroglu has toned down the partys secularism. Most notably, Kilicdaroglu shifted the CHPs position on womens headscarves, a totemic issue in Turkish politics. Ataturk had discouraged the wearing of headscarves in the 1920s and his successors gradually introduced explicit bans in public institutions, which Erdogan reversed in several stages. Kilicdaroglu also allowed women into CHP ranks for the first time, which did not go down entirely well with traditionalists.

Not only did Kilicdaroglu say the CHP had made mistakes in the past by supporting restrictions, he also endorsed a constitutional amendment upholding womens right to wear the headscarf.

The biggest turning point for Kilicdaroglu as opposition leader came in 2017, when he made his famous Justice March. He went on a 450 kilometre march from Ankara to Istanbul to denounce the jailing of CHP MP Enis Berberoglu, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for giving information to opposition newspaper Cumhurriyet.

Shortly after the Justice March, Kilicdaroglu wrote in The New York Times that he walked with a broad range of Turkish people including wives of imprisoned journalists who want freedom for everyone who has been arrested for his views; families of terror victims who want enduring peace; a father whose son has been wrongly accused of involvement in the coup attempt.

We walk for a Turkey in which heads are held high and minds are without fear, he wrote.

"Kilicdaroglu did the Justice March on foot. He really gave a lot of himself. He talked to the people, he listened, noted Semo.

>> Read more : Will Turkeys inflation crisis damage Erdogans re-election chances?

But at that time, there was not a lot of political space for contesting Erdogan since the Justice March came amid the pervasive crackdown that followed the 2016 failed coup.

But in 2019, the CHP won mayoral elections in several major cities including Istanbul and Ankara.

Strengthened by this victories, Kilicdaroglu hardened his tone against Erdogan. He even refused to pay his electricity bills in April 2022 in a display of protest against soaring electricity prices amid Turkey's soaring inflation crisis.

After the power was cut off in his apartment, Kilicdaroglu railed against Erdogans economic policies, saying they had adversely affected the weakest in society: This is my struggle to claim your rights, he declared, saying the rich got richer and the poor got poorer during Erdogans tenure.

Indeed, experts blame Turkeys rampant economic crisis on Erdogans belief contrary to all evidence that high interest rates fuel inflation. This has prompted Erdogan to cut rates when tight monetary policy is needed to squeeze inflation out of the economy.

Kilicdaroglu has accused the Turkish Statistical Institute of underestimating the inflation figures, officially at 85 percent in October 2022. Turkeys Inflation Research Group, run by independent analysts, put year-on-year inflation at 137.5 percent in December.

Kilicdaroglu is a unifying figure who appeals to Turkeys ethnic minorities. Indeed, he broke a taboo in Turkish politics last week by making a public statement about his religious identity, declaring in a video: I am an Alevi.

The Nation Alliance leader comes from the Dersim (since renamed Tunceli) region, apredominantly Alevi and Kurdish heartland in eastern Turkey.

This Alevi stronghold came in for heavy repression from Ataturk in the 1930s, Semo noted. This strain of Shiite Islam, profoundly marked by animist influences, was long persecuted by the Ottoman Empire whose sultan was also the caliph.

Kilicdaroglu would be Turkeys first ever Alevi president. If he wins the 2023 presidential election, it would be a big symbolic moment in a country where religious and ethnic minorities feel persecuted, Semo emphasised. All of Turkeys minorities see something of themselves in him.

>> Read more : How the West, Russia see Turkey's presidential elections

Kilicdaroglu has called for a deeper examination of Turkeys treatment of minorities since Ataturk created the modern nation state in 1923 suggesting that it has at times acted harshly towards the Kurds in particular.

This is typical of the way hes changed his partys positions in recent years, Billon noted. In doing so, he is in tune with Turkish society.

Nevertheless, Kilicdaroglus religious identity could be a disadvantage among an important section of the electorate since many theologically conservative Sunni Muslims still consider Alevis as heretics. Erdogan could potentially instrumentalise this against Kilicdaroglu.

Many would have preferred to see either the popular mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu or his similarly popular counterpart in Ankara Mansur Yavas as the oppositions standard-bearer against Erdogan. However, everybody agrees that Kilicdaroglu is one of very few people with the qualities to unite Turkeys heterogeneous opposition.

Kilicdaroglus strength is not his personality but that of his opponent, said FRANCE 24 Istanbul correspondent Ludovic de Foucaud. The opposition is keen to focus on his platform on the politics instead of the person. They want to put an end to one-man rule to this ultra-vertical, Caesarist system Erdogan has built around himself.

This article was adapted from the original in French.

See original here:
Kemal Kilicdaroglu: The soft-spoken reformer threatening Erdogans grip on power - FRANCE 24 English

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has cancelled his election appearances for a third day after falling ill with what officials described as an intestinal infection.

Erdogan is seeking a third presidential term in Turkeys May 14 elections. He had been due to appear at a bridge opening and a political rally in the southern city of Adana, but his schedule changed on Friday to show he would attend the opening ceremony via video link.

Erdogan became ill during a TV interview on Tuesday with what Health Minister Fahrettin Koca later said was a gastrointestinal infection. His election rallies planned for Wednesday and Thursday were cancelled.

He looked pale on Thursday as he inaugurated a nuclear power plant via video in his first public appearance since his illness.

Other officials sought to dispel concerns over the 69-year-old leaders health ahead of next months presidential and parliamentary elections. Recent polls showed a slight lead for Erdogans main challenger amid an economic downturn and a February earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people.

Erdogan, who underwent intestinal surgery in 2011, has ruled Turkey since 2003, first as prime minister and as president since 2014. He campaigned hard in recent weeks, attending several events across the country every day.

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Turkeys leader Erdogan cancels third day of election appearances - Al Jazeera English

Some 3.4 million Turkish citizens living abroad began voting Thursday in national elections that will decide whether President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can continue governing Turkey after two decades in power.

The overseas balloting began amid concerns over Erdogans health after he was forced to cancel election rallies on Wednesday and Thursday. However, the 69-year-old leader attended a Thursday ceremony via video link to mark the inauguration of Turkeys first nuclear power plant, reemerging from a two-day absence.

Looking wan and sporting bags under his eyes, Erdogan was shown seated behind his desk at a virtual ceremony unveiling the Russian-built nuclear power plant. He appeared alongside his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Turkeys health minister said Erdogans condition was improving.

I was with him this morning. His health is fine, Fahrettin Koca, a physician by training, said Thursday. The effect of his gastrointestinal infection has decreased. He will continue his schedule.

Erdogan has laid low since getting sick while conducting a live television interview on Tuesday evening.

He had been campaigning tirelessly to pull out one of his trademark come-from-behind wins in May 14 parliamentary and presidential polls.

But he looked wan during the interview and then cut it off in the middle of a question 10 minutes into the show.

The camera shook and the screen turned blank before going to a commercial break. A voice could be heard saying Oh wow in the background while someone repeatedly coughed.

Erdogan returned about 15 minutes later and apologized for getting sick.

He said he developed stomach flu while hopping between five cities for campaign rallies and public project launches on Monday and Tuesday.

The health scare has upturned Erdogans travel schedule and complicated his path to a third decade of rule.

The latest opinion polls in Turkey showed a slight lead for Erdogans main challenger, center-left opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is backed by the cross-party Nation Alliance.

Erdogan served as Turkeys prime minister from March 2003 to August 2014 and has held the presidents office since then. He has been criticized for his increasingly authoritarian rule and handling of the economy and rampant inflation in recent years, as well as of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey in February.

Among overseas voters, the biggest contingents include 400,000 Turks in France and 1.5 million in Germany who can cast their ballots in Turkeys presidential and parliamentary elections until May 9. Voting in Turkey itself doesnt take place until May 14.

In Berlin, voter Fatma, who declined to provide her surname, said she backed the current president.

Erdogan is strong. We are behind him, she said.

Turkish citizens living in Germany arrive at a polling station at the Turkish consulate to cast their vote for the Turkish the parliament and president election in Berlin, Germany, April 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Her comments were echoed by 39-year-old Ozlem Dinc in Paris, who expressed full support for Erdogan. We hope from the bottom of our hearts that he will come to power again and that he will conquer the whole world, she said.

Others were critical of the long-time president and the changes he has made to Turkeys political system.

We have to change the president first and then the system, said voter Sema Jude in Paris. The presidential system in Turkey is not democratic and it is like a dictatorship.

Cinar Negatir agreed, though for other reasons. Yes for a change of president, because economy is at 0 percent, he said. Thats why we vote to change the president.

Up to 300 people lined up outside the Turkish General Consulate in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt waiting to vote. The atmosphere was calm with supporters of the president and of the opposition discussing their views in line.

If no candidate wins outright and a presidential run-off is needed on May 28, overseas balloting would take place May 20-24.

Read more here:
Turks living abroad begin voting as ailing Erdogan is forced off campaign trail - The Times of Israel

However much US President Joe Biden may wish it, Turkey is unlikely to change the broad outlines of its policy towards Russia if the opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu captures the presidency on 14 May.

For one thing, much of that policy is set on tram lines. The incumbent president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will activate the first phase of theAkkuyu Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday, which is being built and operated by Russia. The opposition have vowed not to close it.

Similarly, opposition foreign policy specialists interviewed by Middle East Eye praised the agreement securing the passage of grain from Ukraine that Erdogan's government negotiated in its role as Black Sea mediator. Nor would a Kilicdaroglu-led government join western sanctions against Moscow.

Nonetheless, since 2016 Erdogan has deepened Turkeys already-rich ties with Moscow, and has raised eyebrows in the West with steps like purchasing the Russian S-400 missile system and cutting energy and trade deals.

So what kind of Russia policy would Kilicdaroglus government and the coalition of six parties that backs himcarry out?

Many in the West expect Turkey to turn increasingly anti-Russia and join the sanctions imposed on Moscow since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The signals coming out of Kilicdaroglus own mouth have been mixed. That suggests Kilicdaroglu doesnt have an outright anti-Russia policy, but more of a nuanced take.

While western countries have not provided many technologies to Turkey, Russia did, Kilicdaroglu said in October while paying a visit to Washington. For example, Russia has provided technology in areas such as aluminum, the glass industry, the petrochemical industry. But Turkey also has developed that technology, it has become more perfect. We will maintain our economic relations [with Russia].

What Kilicdaroglu references is the USSRs investments in Turkey following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. The Soviets extended credit to Turkey in the 30s and 50s, helping it establish some of the first factories in the post-Ottoman era, and later set up Iskenderun steel factory, Seydisehir aluminum factory, and petrochemical plants in the 60s. All became essential for the Turkish economy and its industry.

We think that we should stand by Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war, Kilicdaroglu said. It is not right for a nuclear-armed country to invade the territory of a non-nuclear-weapon country, to start a war.

Turkey, under Erdogan, has done exactly what Kilicdaroglu suggested.

'Im afraid to say Turkey has been quite successful in its Russia policy since the invasion'

- Turkish opposition official

Ankara condemnedthe Russian invasion on every international level, and voted with the Nato bloc in the UN against Moscow. It delivered weaponsto Kyiv, from simple armour to sophisticated armed drones and laser-guided missiles. It facilitated prisoner exchanges and mediated a landmark grain deal which is functional to this day. It also hosted Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers in Antalya for ceasefire talks.

However, Turkey pointedly refused to joint western sanctions. It accepted Russian refugees, sold citizenships to them, and largely allowed trade with Moscow. Russian airplanes and ships still freely visit the country, bringing tourists and cash.

Im afraid to say Turkey has been quite successful in its Russia policy since the invasion, one senior Turkish opposition official told MEE. The grain deal, for example, is a major achievement that possibly stopped a food crisis.

The opposition official said Ankara also managed to prevent Russia from infiltrating the Turkish banking system and largely succeeded in stopping Russian moves to circumvent sanctions through Turkish companies.

After the elections, we will put more work into the grain deal to make sure the Russians are happy about their own wishes, the official said, referring to Moscow's displeasure over the lack of progress in Russian food and fertiliser exports through the Black Sea. We will continue to put our hands under the stone, the official added, using a Turkish idiom that could be translated as "we will do our part".

The official said Turkey, under a Kilicdaroglu government, would re-institutionalise its relations with Russia but continue to promote dialogue and engagement between Moscow and Kyiv through diplomacy. Turkey has been very neutral towards the USSR in the past, why cant I do it now? the official said, adding that Ankara will continue to uphold the Montreux Conventionthat governs the passage of vessels to the Black Sea and deny thetransit of all warships to there.

A second senior Turkish opposition official said that Russia-Turkey relations are older than some of the western powers national history, and Ankara has concrete experience in dealing with Moscow going back centuries.

We are over-dependent on Russia and of course we wont try to antagonise them, the second official said. We wont do things like buying another S-400systemfrom them or throwing them another contract for a nuclear power plant, but we will be balanced.

Both officials said Ankara wouldnt join the western sanctions but also wont allow them to be circumvented through Turkey.

Kilicdaroglu, in an interview last month,saidunder his leadership Turkey would only follow sanctions on foreign countries voted through by the UN Security Council.

The position of Russia in Turkish foreign policy is clear, Kilicdaroglu said in the same interview. On the basis of mutual respect, I do not think there is a reason for this situation to change. On the contrary, I believe that existing positions will be further consolidated rather than facing new challenges.

Like top officials in Erdogans administration, opposition sources express concern about a forthcoming Ukrainian counteroffensive and spoke about the need for a face-saving solution for both sides. In doing this, they are veering off Natos script.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will accept nothing less than the return of all territories Kyiv previously held.

Both opposition officials added they were worried that a Ukrainian counteroffensive would be counterproductive and wouldnt result in genuine progress other than shedding more blood.

Turkey elections: All you need to know about the oppositions foreign policy

Russia isnt easy to defeat and history teaches us they can survive very long, the first official said. "This war can expand to a regional and global conflict. It is quite dangerous, we will have to prioritise efforts to resolve it.

The official said everyone needs a face-saving solution. Russia needs a respectable defeat and Ukraine needs a considerable victory, the official added. Im sorry to say it, but [for Ukraine] it may not include Crimea. And there needs to be administrative solutions for the areas in the east, like Donbas.

The opposition officials say the West needs to find a solution where Russia is once again incorporated into the European security architecture. We need a stable architecture and we cannot leave Russia out of the picture, the first official said.

Russian president Vladimir Putin in recent years established a personal rapport with Erdogan, pumping billions of dollars to Turkish Central Bank through Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant last year, which helped stabilise the Turkish lira months before the elections.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner group Russian private paramilitary that is closely linked with Putin, told Turkish Eurasianist daily Aydinlik this weekend that Erdogan is a courageous and strong-willed leader who developed his own national agenda.

He is seizing more territories, taking them under Turkeys control, and no doubt doing the right thing with respect to national greatness, he said. Hence, his aim is to establish an Ottoman Empire, and ours is extending Russias reach in the world from Alaska to South Africa.

Asked about possible help to Erdogan from Putin to win the elections, Kilicdaroglu said in the interview last month that he also hears similar comments but he doesnt want to believe that it reflects the truth.

The most important element of relations between Turkey and Russia should be trust, he said. It is necessary not to interfere in one anothers internal affairs, and especially not to take sides in matters such as elections or be interpreted as such, he added.

Russia is also a country that frequently expresses its discomfort with the interference in the internal affairs of countries and is aware of the gravity of the steps in this direction. An opposite behaviour erodes and destroys mutual trust.

The second Turkish opposition official said everyone would re-adjust themselves if Kilicdaroglu captures the presidency, the Russian leadership included.

There are signs that the Russians are now rethinking their position and concerned that they put all their eggs in one basket, the official said, smiling.

Originally posted here:
Turkey elections: What is the oppositions Russia policy? - Middle East Eye

April 23, 2023 (KHARTOUM) A Sudanese diplomatic official disclosed to the Sudan Tribune that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested to Sudans military leaders to hold negotiations in Turkey.

The ongoing military conflicts between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have lasted for nine days, resulting in sporadic clashes in various regions of Khartoum.

According to the diplomatic official, Erdogan in phone calls over the past two days, spoke to Al-Burhan and Hemetti, conveying Turkeys desire to mediate an end to the war.

The Turkish leader offered to host direct negotiations in Ankara, with assurances to the rapid support commander, the official added.

There is no clear indication of the two mens position on the Turkish proposal.

However, sources have confirmed that Al-Burhan refused to negotiate with the commander of the Rapid Support Forces before they withdrew from Khartoum.

For his part, Hemetti told Sky News Arabia on Sunday that he refuses to negotiate with al-Burhan, but accepts to sit with the honourable members of the Sudan Armed Forces.

In a separate development, three Gulf countries on April 22, proposed an initiative for the conflicting military parties to resolve the crisis and stop the violent confrontations in Khartoum.

In addition, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken contacted his counterparts in Sudans neighbouring countries to extend the humanitarian truce that ends on April 25, 2023.

Due to the destruction of several central markets caused by the war, a severe food crisis has emerged in Khartoum.

Residents of Khartoum have fled to other neighbourhoods and states to avoid the bloody confrontations between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

There have also been reports of attacks and looting by the Rapid Support Forces against families trying to leave the capital.

(ST)

See original here:
Erdogan proposes negotiations in Turkey to end war in Sudan - Sudan Tribune