ISTANBUL: As President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye approaches the toughest election of his career on Sunday, he has marshalled many of the resources of the state to tilt the playing field to his advantage. Erdogan, who has come to increasingly dominate the country over the past two decades, tapped the treasury for populist spending programmes and has raised the minimum wage three times in the last year and a half. His challenger barely appears on the state broadcaster, while Erdogan’s speeches are aired in full. And this weekend’s vote will be overseen by an election board that, during recent votes, have made questionable calls that benefited the president. And yet, Erdogan could still lose.
Polls show Erdogan trailing the main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a 74-year-old former civil servant, a day ahead of elections. However, if neither of them win more than 50% of the…
Polls show Erdogan trailing the main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a 74-year-old former civil servant, a day ahead of elections. However, if neither of them win more than 50% of the…
