Turkey Election: Main presidential candidates running against Erdogan

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Europe

02:05

For the last 15 years, no-one in Turkey has given Recep Tayyip Erdogan a real challenge, it was almost always certain he would be the winner of whatever election he was campaigning for. Yet this time round – there are doubts.

Though Erdogan is still the leading candidate in the race, the end is not so clear yet. Erdogan's referendum win last year for Turkey to transition to a presidential system was only by a very thin margin.

Opposition parties have all nominated their own candidates – if no one candidate gains more than 50% of the votes, the top two will have a run off round on July 8th.

If there should be a second round, opposition parties have vowed to stick together and support whoever faces Erdogan.

The main opposition Republican People's Party, CHP has nominated a former physics teacher known for his passionate speeches in parliament – Muharrem Ince. At his rallies – his opening remarks have usually focused on his intention to unite a much polarized Turkish society.

MUHARREM INCE TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE "We are going to build the world's largest bridge, a bridge of hearts; there will be no discrimination, no left or right, no Turkish or Kurdish, no Alevi or Sunni, no man or woman. I will be the president of eighty-one million, everyone's president."

The third name in the race is Meral Aksener, dubbed "she-wolf" representing the breakaway nationalist group – the IYI Party translating to "Good Party".

A controversial candidate Selahattin Demirtas – is campaigning from prison as the representative of the Kurdish HDP as he faces terror-linked charges.

Erdogan has focused on national security threats and successful cross-border operations in Syria during his rallies while opposition candidates have made emphasis on the need for justice and rule of law in Turkey. Meanwhile, all have stressed the need for new economic strategy as the Turkish Lira continues to tumble against the US dollar.

MICHAL BARDAVID ISTANBUL, TURKEY "Though the three main presidential candidates Erdogan, Ince and Aksener's perspectives differ on many issues from the economy to foreign policy, they have all promised to do one thing following the elections -- to lift the state of emergency that was declared after the failed coup of 2016."

With the economy taking a hit, a new face with the main opposition, a strong female contender and a candidate in prison – this election is certainly an unusual one, to say the least. Though unlikely - the end result may just turn out to be surprising as well. Michal Bardavid, CGTN, Istanbul.