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Turkish Presidential Challenger Targets Nationalists in Runoff Vote
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PLAYBOOK SLUG: TURKEY ELECTION CHALLENGER
HEADLINE: Turkish Presidential Challenger Targets Nationalists in Runoff Vote
TEASER: Turkish presidential challenger focuses anti-refugee stance and security to close the gap on incumbent Erdogan in the upcoming runoff
PUBLISHED AT: 5/23/23 AT 12:15PM
BYLINE: Dorian Jones
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Istanbul
VIDEOGRAPHER: Berke Bas DO NOT USE NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS, Agency, Courtesy
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, DLJ
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA ORIGINAL, CHP, AKP, REUTERS
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:03
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: DO NOT USE Berke Bas NAME FOR SECURITY REASONS.))
((INTRO)) [[As Turkey heads to a presidential runoff on May 28th, challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu is targeting nationalist voters with an anti-refugee and strong security stance in a bid to overtake incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.]]
((NARRATOR))
Challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu promises to return millions of Syrian refugees home and protect the homeland from terrorist threats. Kilicdaroglu's sharp pivot away from focusing on democracy and Turkey's economic problems is a reaction to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's first-round success in which he narrowly missed securing the presidency.
[[Radio version: Can Selcuki is the head of Istanbul Economics Research, an opinion poll company.]]
((Can Selcuki, Istanbul Economics Research - MALE IN ENGLISH - ON CAMERA-VOA ORIGINAL))
“This identity whereby Turkey is strong with many enemies at bay and that, you know, anything else is secondary to this new position that Erdogan has given the Turkish nation, or the perception of it at least. So that's the identity that's being preferred over everyday problems.”
((Mandatory cg AKP))
((NARRATOR))
In his campaign, Erdogan used crudely-done fake videos that purported to show Kurdish separatist leaders cheering for Kilicdaroglu. The videos appeared as Kilicdaroglu received the support of Selahattin Demirtas, the jailed former leader of the pro-Kurdish PKK party.
((Mandatory cg CHP))
((NARRATOR))
That support alienated some who favored Kilicdaroglu’s CHP party.
[[RADIO VERSION: ...says Atilla Yesilada a Turkey analyst for GlobalSource Partners.]]
((Atilla Yesilada, GlobalSource Partners Turkey Analyst - male in English)) ((Mandatory ZOOM))
“Kilicdaroglu's close attention to the Kurdish problem, his reception in Kurdish areas, Demirtas's, you know, constant tweeting support for Kilicdaroglu has probably dismayed a lot of (the) CHP voting (base).
((Mandatory cg CHP))
That caused (a) reaction among the nationalists or patriotic wing of CHP.”
((NARRATOR))
Analysts believe some disgruntled Kilicdaroglu supporters have defected to hardline nationalist presidential candidate Sinan Ogan who secured a surprising 5% of the vote. Ogan is now supporting Erdogan in the presidential runoff, but it's unclear what impact that support will have.
[[Radio version: Can Selcuki of Istanbul Economics Research.]]
((Can Selcuki, Istanbul Economics Research - MALE IN ENGLISH - ON CAMERA-VOA ORIGINAL))
“So, he (Sinan Ogan) has a mixed support base, and I'm not sure if he can sway these people in any one direction, regardless of these people's initial inclinations.”
((Mandatory cg CHP))
((NARRATOR))
With Ogan voters up for grabs, Kilicdaroglu is now taking a hardline on security, vowing never to negotiate with Kurdish separatists. But such a move could alienate key Kurdish voters. Analysts say Kilicdaroglu is taking a risk.
[[RADIO VERSION: Sezin Oney of Politikyol news portal.]]
((Sezin Oney, PolitikYol - VOA ORIGINAL - female in English)) ((ZOOM))
“He (Kilicdaroglu) has to start all over again from just scratch one, actually. And he has to convince others. Also, he has to convince Sinan Ogan, the nationalist voter side, of course, and he has to keep the Kurds on his side. So, this is a very delicate balance. It's not impossible, but it's much, much more difficult than the first round.
((Mandatory cg CHP))
((NARRATOR))
But with only a few days left of campaigning, time is against Kilicdaroglu as he seeks to close the gap on Erdogan.
((Dorian Jones, for VOA News, Istanbul))
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