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CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu is challenging incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey’s elections. His chances are good.
1 / 10Kemal Kilicdaroglu has led the Kemalist-social-democratic CHP since 2010. The 74-year-old financial expert should lead the party back to its old strength after two bitter defeats against Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP. Now he is challenging Erdogan as the presidential candidate of an alliance of six parties. Polls give him a good chance of actually replacing Erdogan at the head of the state. © Adem Altan/afp
2 / 10Kemal Kilicdaroglu was born on December 17, 1948 in Ballica, a small village in northern Turkey. He has been married to journalist Selvi Kilicdaroglu since 1974. Before her marriage, she worked at the Faculty of Political Science at Ankara University. The couple had three children, one of whom died at the age of three months. Like her husband Kemal, Selvi Kilicdaroglu is from Ballica. © Republican People’s Party (CHP) Press Service/afp
3 / 10Kemal Kilicdaroglu gained national fame in Turkey for his fight against corruption. He did not stop at members of the government. In 2008 he accused Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat, Erdogan’s deputy, during a debate in the Turkish parliament. With him Kilicdaroglu had documents that should prove the involvement. © Adem Altan/afp
4 / 10In 2011, the CHP ran for the first time in the parliamentary elections in Turkey under its new chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu – and celebrated its first success. The party gained more than five percent and secured its place as the largest opposition party behind Erdogan’s ruling AKP. Together with his supporters, Kilicdaroglu celebrated the success in Ankara. © Adem Altan/afp
5 / 10Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeatedly tried to get his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu close to the terrorist organization PKK. But Kilicdaroglu repeatedly distanced himself from the Kurdish organization, which he also described as “terrorists”. In 2017, he attended the funeral of a Turkish soldier killed in battles with the PKK alongside Erdogan. © Adem Altan/afp
6 / 10On July 16, Turkey was rocked by a military coup. The outraged citizens opposed the soldiers in numerous cities. The world also looked to opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Despite all the differences, he stood behind Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The President escaped the coup plotters and the attempted coup was eventually averted. © Adem Altan/afp
7 / 10Kemal Kilicdaroglu also had to fear for his life during his political career. In 2016, his convoy of vehicles was attacked by Kurdish militants in the Artvin region. A Turkish soldier was killed and two others injured. Kilicdaroglu escaped unharmed. The attack was later linked to the PKK and caused shock waves in Turkish politics. © Republican People’s Party (CHP) Press Service/afp
8 / 10After the attempted coup and the PKK attack, Recep Tayyip Erdogan tried to transform Turkey into an authoritarian state. He introduced the presidential system, restricted the freedom of the press and took action against numerous opposition politicians. Together with his supporters, Kilicdaroglu demonstrated in 2017 with a “march for justice” from Ankara to Istanbul against the arrest of a CHP MP. © Ozan Kose/afp
9 / 10In 2019, Kemal Kilicdaroglu was attacked again. This time the opposition politician is attacked at a soldier’s funeral in Ankara. Kilicdaroglu suffered minor injuries and had to be taken to safety in a nearby building. The attacker later turned out to be a member of the ruling AKP. © Harun Ozalp/afp
10 / 10But Kemal Kilicdaroglu did not allow himself to be diverted from his course. In 2023, his chances of replacing Recep Tayyip Erdogan are better than ever. In polls, he is ahead of his incumbent. After more than 20 years, the CHP could once again form the government in Turkey. But the decision could not be made until May 28 – if none of the candidates receive an absolute majority, then there will be a runoff. © Ozan Kose/afp
