ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan led a massive rally of political supporters in Istanbul, exclaiming, “Istanbul! If you say ok, we will win elections for sure!” This show-of-force event took place ahead of the next election, which is anticipated to be the most challenging in Tayyip Erdogan’s two-decade rule.
The rally held at Istanbul’s old Ataturk airport drew a vast crowd, with Erdogan’s loyal supporters packed shoulder-to-shoulder. The venue was filled with Turkish flags and banners adorned with the 69-year-old president’s face.
Erdogan himself started his political career as the mayor of Istanbul, leading his Islamic-rooted party to power and ending half a century of secular rule in the officially secular but predominantly Muslim state.
The opposition’s victory in the 2019 mayoral elections in Istanbul dealt a blow to Erdogan’s perceived invincibility and served as a warning sign for the upcoming vote.
Current polls indicate that Erdogan and opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu are in a dead heat and are likely to face a runoff on May 28.
However, polling in Turkey is an imprecise science, and both leaders are striving to demonstrate to their supporters that they can secure an outright victory by obtaining over 50 percent of the vote.
Erdogan’s rival Kilicdaroglu organizes rally in Istanbul
Kilicdaroglu organized a smaller yet significant rally on the Asian side of Istanbul, facing the Sea of Marmara, the day before.
Meanwhile, Erdogan and his party mobilized approximately 10,000 buses, bringing supporters from 39 provinces for what the president referred to as “the rally of the century” on Sunday.
Erdogan claimed that more than a million people had attended, a statement seemingly supported by aerial footage broadcast nationwide during the event.
Amidst the crowd, 68-year-old Heyiye Kefal, a disabled pensioner, expressed her honor to be present.
She was transported to the rally by a party bus and expressed gratitude for the improvements she witnessed under Erdogan’s rule, stating, “We were in bad shape before, but today we have everything: freedom and comfort.”
While Kilicdaroglu’s message was equally upbeat, Istanbul’s popular mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who was once a presidential hopeful until a court barred him from higher office, took the stage as a guest star.
Chants of “Law, rights, justice” and “Tayyip Erdogan thief!” resonated throughout the crowd as Imamoglu spoke.
Supporters expressed their hope for an opposition victory, believing it would bring “freedom and democracy” and alleviate the concerns of innocent people being imprisoned.
Polls suggest that Kilicdaroglu holds a significant advantage over Erdogan among younger voters, who have experienced only one leader throughout their lives.
Young attendees at Kilicdaroglu’s rally emphasized his relatability and understanding of the people. They voiced hopes that Kilicdaroglu would uplift women’s status and address their concerns, including the wearing of headscarves, which Kilicdaroglu has pledged to protect by law.
As the election approaches, both candidates are rallying their supporters and striving to secure victory in a closely contested race that will shape Turkey’s political landscape.
