While analysts and politicians believe that the move will bring to Kilicdaroglu the votes of voters annoyed with the refugees, others expect that it will backfire, withdrawing votes from the Kurds and those described as “moderates” who admired his speech on freedoms and citizenship in the first round.
Despite the weakness of the voting bloc of the Victory Party, the opposition candidate needs it to raise the vote for him from 44.88% to at least 50%, surpassing his rival, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who won 49.52% in the first round.
Ozdag support
Claiming his support for the opposition leader, Ozdag said in calling on his supporters to vote for him: “I call on those who voted for us in the first round to vote for Mr. Kilicdaroglu in the run-off so that the refugees can return to their country.”
He added, “It is known that Turkey’s biggest problem is the 13 million refugees, and we cannot think about the welfare of the Turkish people while providing homes, money, and support for the refugees.”
endorsement agreement
The head of the Nasr Party supports the opposition candidate on the basis of an agreement, which, according to Turkish reports, included:
Preserving the first four articles of the constitution (regarding the fact that Turkey’s identity is an indivisible secular republic), the return of refugees within a year, the fight against all terrorist organizations, as well as the adoption of competence as a basis for employment, and the fight against corruption.
The paradox of the Kurdish position
One of the paradoxes of the second round is that the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party decided to continue supporting Kemal Kilicdaroglu, despite its tendency towards nationalist parties that reject multiple identities, including the Kurdish one.
The co-chair of the party, Pervin Buldan, attributed this to the abstention from voting that would help Erdogan to survive, saying: “On May 28, we will complete the work that was not completed on May 14, in front of those who are trying to prevent the demand for change.”
Hope is not enough
Turkish political analyst, Javad Gök, told Sky News Arabia that the support of the Victory Party has restored enthusiasm to the ranks of the Republican People’s Party, but that “it is not enough alone to win the run-off.”
In Gok’s estimation: “Kilichdar Oglu had to announce his government, which would lead the country with him if he won, because this would have greatly raised his shares, but currently there does not seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Regarding the position of the Kurds, he says: “They do not have many options, because Erdogan’s victory will keep the situation as it is,” referring to the Peoples’ Democratic Party’s complaints that it was harassed during Erdogan’s rule, and there is a claim to ban it, and that Erdogan’s survival may mean The survival of party leaders in prisons.
Limited impact
Kilicdaroglu relies on the support of the Victory Party on the votes of those opposing the presence of the refugees. However, Samir al-Araki, a journalist on Turkish television, sees the impact of the refugee issue in the second round as limited, based on:
- In the first round, only 5% of the votes went to Sinan Ogan, and even within this percentage were details far from the refugee file.
- Most of the states that voted for Kilicdaroglu do not witness a large presence of refugees, especially in the west, south and the Aegean Sea region, indicating that their residents do not feel much harm from the refugees.
- There is skepticism that the opposition will fulfill its promises, and that the refugee file is being used for purely electoral purposes. Otherwise, where was it in the first round? Where is the opposition plan to deport them?
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