Mass rallies held in Istanbul ahead of Turkish presidential election

Istanbul, Turkey | Xinhua |  Large-scale rallies were held in Istanbul, the country’s largest city, over the weekend, marking the final weekend before the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14th.

On Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, representing the electoral coalition People’s Alliance, attracted hundreds of thousands of supporters to his rally. Taking place on the European side of the city, Erdogan highlighted the achievements of his ruling party and outlined their future plans.

Erdogan emphasized the symbolic significance of the upcoming election, as 2023 marks the centennial of the republic’s founding, adding he aims to establish a “Turkish century” with the support of the people.

“Just as we together made up for the deficiencies in democracy and development in the first century of the republic,” he added, “we will establish the Turkish century with the help of the people.”

Given that Istanbul is home to more than one in six Turkish voters, all political parties and presidential candidates are placing great importance on winning the city. Out of Türkiye’s total population of nearly 85 million citizens, around 60.7 million are eligible voters, with 11.3 million residing in Istanbul.

On Saturday, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the presidential candidate for the CHP, attended a massive rally on the Asian side of Istanbul. He pledged to bring peace and prosperity to the country, promising to govern with reason, knowledge, and experience. Kilicdaroglu emphasized his commitment to inclusivity, vowing not to leave any segment of society behind.

Both candidates are campaigning to improve the quality of life for many Turks who have been affected by the recent economic downturn. ■