Kılıçdaroğlu launches presidential election campaign with two videos

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Yesterday (March 27), Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the chair of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the presidential candidate of the Nation Alliance of six opposition parties, officially launched his election campaign with two videos.

The videos were titled "Sana Söz yine baharlar gelecek..." ("I promise you, spring will come again...") and "Bay Kemal Sözünden Dönmeyecek..." ("Mr. Kemal Will Stand By His Promise...")

In the first video, Kılıçdaroğlu vows that spring will come again and pledges for a Turkey that will not hurt each other but instead loves and respects those who are different. He furthermore promises a Turkey that believes in science, art, and the future.

The video includes several references. For example, during Kılıçdaroğlu's promise that Turkey believes in science, a drone shot of Turkey's prestigious Boğaziçi University campus is shown.

Historically, the university is considered among Turkey's best, but in recent years mainly received media attention after the government controversially appointed a new rector in 2021, bypassing the university's longstanding democratic election. This resulted in nationwide commotion and protests.

Towards the end of the video, the CHP chair states that they will bring a Turkey where people can sing its most beautiful songs. In this part, people resembling football supporters are shown, likely referencing the uproar erupting in football stadiums of some of Turkey's most prominent clubs.

Fans vocalized that the government should resign over the disastrous February 6 earthquakes and its response. These chants led to stern messages from Turkey's coalition and a court-approved away game ban for Fenebahçe supporters.

'Spring will come again'

In the second video, Kılıçdaroğlu delves into themes such as Turkey's economic crisis and the increasing amount of young people migrating to Western countries. He again finishes the video with the words "Sana söz! Yine baharlar gelecek...'' (I promise you! Spring will come again...)

Kılıçdaroğlu recently started referencing spring with the wearing of a red and white spring Martenitsa or Marteniçka bracelet. In a video published from his kitchen on March 20, he wears the Balkan ornament that symbolizes the welcoming of spring.

Kılıçdaroğlu leading in most polls

Turkey's government brought forward the presidential and parliamentary elections to May 14, instead of the previously scheduled date of June 18.

Four candidates are included in the provisional list of presidential candidates announced today by the Supreme Election Council (YSK).

While Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was nominated by the parliamentary groups of both his Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP); Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was nominated by the parliamentary groups of CHP and the Good Party (İYİ). 

Former 2018 presidential candidate of CHP and current leader of the Memleket (Homeland) Party, Muharrem İnce and Sinan Oğan of the far-right Ancestral Alliance joined the race by collecting the signatures of more than the required 100,000 voters.

According to different polls conducted in March, Kılıçdaroğlu is ahead in most of them. In a presidential election survey by MAK Research, Kılıçdaroğlu's vote rate was 46.5, while President Erdoğan's vote rate was 42.4 percent.

In Avrasya Research's poll, conducted among 2,560 people between March 12-17, Kılıçdaroğlu received 53.5 percent of the vote and Erdoğan 39.7. ORC Research published their results on March 17, indicating that Kılıçdaroğlu's vote share is 53.1, Erdoğan's 42.3, İnce's 3.1, and Oğan's vote share is 1.5 percent.

Genar Research, on the other hand, tips the odds in favor of Erdoğan indicating that he will receive 52.3 percent of the vote compared to Kılıçdaroğlu's 47.7 vote share.

However, Turkey's surveys are considered to be notoriously inaccurate or biased. For instance, Genar Research is considered to have close ties with the ruling government. (AÖ/WM/PE)