President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has ramped up his election campaign ahead of the dual polls on May 14 by bringing up the topics of LGBTI+ rights and religion.
In a rally in Bursa today, the president accused all opposition parties of being "pro-LGBT," urging young people to "not oppose marriage" and to "not look at these LGBTs," claiming that the People's Alliance is walking on the path of the holy family.
During an event for the opening of Istanbul's historic Blue Mosque on April 21, Erdoğan claimed that the opposition would abolish the Presidency of Religious Affairs if they win the elections.
Speaking to a crowd of thousands, he remarked, "What does the opposition say? They will abolish the Presidency of Religious Affairs when they come to power and establish a presidency of belief or something like that."
The opposition's response
The opposition criticized Erdoğan for practically holding an election on the pretext of the reopening of the mosque and using religion for political purposes.
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Erdoğan's main rival in the presidential election, quickly dismissed the claim, stating that it was the CHP, the founding party of the Republic, that had established the Diyanet. "No one has the power to shut down Diyanet," Kılıçdaroğlu said.
In recent years, the government and its supporters have increasingly used anti-LGBTI+ rhetoric, often under the guise of "protecting family values." There have been multiple anti-LGBTI+ rallies throughout the country in the past year while many public events during Pride Month have been prohibited for years.
According to the ILGA Europe's Rainbow Index, Turkey ranks as the second-worst country out of 49 for LGBTI+s.
Turkey will hold dual presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14. The opposition seeks to end the 20-year rule of Erdoğan and his AKP. (VK)
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