ISTANBUL (AP) – Turkish politicians were holding final rallies Saturday in the final hours of campaigning, on the eve of pivotal presidential and parliamentary elections that could significantly shape the NATO member’s future.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who faces the toughest challenge in history in his two decades in power, was speaking at neighborhood rallies in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city.
His rival — Kemal Kilicdaroglu of the pro-secular, center-left Republican People’s Party, who is the joint candidate of six opposition parties — held his final rally in the capital, Ankara, in pouring rain on Friday.
On Friday, Erdogan dismissed speculation that he would not hand over power if he lost, calling the question “very ridiculous.” In an interview with a dozen Turkish broadcasters, Erdogan said he came to power through democracy and would act according to the democratic process.
“If our nation chooses to make such a different decision, we will do exactly what democracy demands and there is nothing else to do,” he said.
Erdogan said on Saturday that he viewed the election as a “celebration of democracy for the future of our country” and released videos to undermine his opponent as incapable of leading Turkey.
The opposition’s campaign was continued by Istanbul’s popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, who held the latest rallies in the city to call on people to vote for Kilicdaroglu.
On Friday, Kilicdaroglu called on tens of thousands of people gathered to listen to his final speech to go to the polls on Sunday to “change Turkey’s destiny”. He said he was ready to bring democracy to Turkey, a major criticism of Erdogan, who has cracked down on dissent in recent years.
“We will show the whole world that our beautiful country is one that can bring democracy through democratic means,” he said. Although Kilicdaroglu and his party have lost all past presidential and parliamentary elections since he took over as party leader in 2010, opinion polls have shown him to have a slight lead over Erdogan.
Electoral turnout in Turkey is traditionally strong, showing continued belief in this kind of civic participation in a country where freedom of expression and assembly has been suppressed.
If no presidential candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, a second round will be held on May 28.
Turkey’s Supreme Election Board said it decided that votes cast for another candidate, Muharrem Ince, who withdrew from the race this week would be counted as valid and that his withdrawal would not be considered until a possible second round
