Turkish opposition unites against Erdogan

ISPARTA, Turkey — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s abrupt decision to call elections more than a year ahead of schedule, hoping to catch the opposition off guard, may backfire.

Turkish opposition parties have come together in a rare alliance that could defeat Erdogan in his attempt to win election June 24 to a presidency with vastly expanded powers.

Erdogan, 64, remains easily the most popular politician in Turkey. But the election, as with a referendum last year that created a more powerful presidential system, is turning into a vote for or against his continued rule.

The front-runner among the opposition candidates is Muharrem Ince, a physics teacher and five-time member of parliament.

“I see a huge desire for change,” Ince said in a recent interview. “Erdogan will be very sorry.”

Reliable pollsters and analysts expect the race to be exceptionally close. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, the election goes to a second round, something Erdogan hopes to avoid.

For now, pollsters say the chances are 50-50 for a second round in which the top two vote-getters face each other. The opposition is even, for the first time, organizing an operation to count the entire national vote independently, to counter any attempt at vote rigging.

If the opposition alliance holds and can force a second round, Ince could present a serious challenge to the president. The alliance candidates have pledged to unite behind whomever challenges Erdogan, Ince said.

Erdogan remains a skilled campaigner and a bruising opponent. He is running a campaign on nationalist themes, blaming terrorism and the West for Turkey’s economic woes — rising unemployment, inflation and a falling lira — and vaunting his social and building programs.

For many he is still a towering figure and the only convincing candidate for president.

But Ince is offering an uplifting antidote to Erdogan, parrying the president’s slurs with jokes and cheerfulness.

“The clouds of desperation are hanging over the country,” he said. “I promise serenity, happiness and I promise peace.”

Since a failed coup in 2016, Erdogan has ruled the country under a state of emergency that has allowed him to dominate the media and all government institutions, including the Supreme Election Council.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls for an election to be held on June 24.