Former teacher to challenge Erdogan in Turkey's election

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Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Friday nominated one its most prominent and combative lawmakers to challenge President Tayyip Erdogan at June 24 presidential polls.

The secularist CHP, which has never won an election against Erdogan in his decade and a half in power, nominated former high school physics teacher Muharrem Ince as its candidate.

"I will be everyone's president, a non-partisan president. The depressing times will end on June 24th," Ince told thousands of flag-waving supporters at a rally in Ankara, where he was introduced by party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Muharrem Ince, Turkey's main opposition CHP candidate for the upcoming presidential election and his wife Ulku arrive for a party gathering in Ankara, Turkey, May 4, 2018. /VCG Photo

Kilicdaroglu had previously said he would not run for president.

Ince, who turned 54 on Friday, is widely known as one of the most spirited speakers from the opposition in parliament. He has run as the sole challenger for party leadership against Kilicdaroglu in the last two CHP party elections, in 2014 and 2018, but failed to oust the incumbent leader.

Ince is seen as a candidate who can match the harsh rhetorics often used by Erdogan, while also receiving backing from the party's own voter base, as well as conservative and right-wing voters.

However, Erdogan's most credible challenge is seen as coming not from the CHP but from former Interior Minister Meral Aksener, who last year founded the Iyi (Good) Party after splitting with the nationalist MHP party, which is supporting Erdogan.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party's Istanbul women's branch congress, April 28, 2018. /VCG Photo

The CHP, the Iyi Party and two other parties are this week expected to agree on an election alliance, to create a broad coalition against Erdogan. This has lead to speculation the CHP could pull its candidate in the second round of voting and back Aksener.

The June 24 polls, which will see parliamentary and presidential elections held on the same day, will be a landmark in modern Turkish history. After the elections, a new presidential system agreed in an April 2017 referendum which the CHP has claimed gives the head of state authoritarian powers will come into force.

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters