“Turkish Opposition Leader Accuses Russia of Spreading Fake News Ahead of Elections”

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Turkish opposition and the main rival of the current president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has stated that Russia is spreading conspiracy theories and fake news before the elections, writes Politico.

Kilicdaroglu’s microblogging site Twitter On May 11, in a post dedicated to the Russians, he stated: “You are behind montages, conspiracies, deep forgeries and recordings that were distributed in the country yesterday.” The presidential candidate did not provide further details, but added that

Russia must stay out of Turkey’s state affairs if it wants to maintain friendship with Ankara

also after May 15.

Kilicdaroglu’s statement was made public a few hours after another opposition candidate, Muharrem İnce, announced his withdrawal from the election campaign. Ince said at the press conference: “I quit the fight. I do it for the sake of the motherland.” Before announcing his resignation, Ankara’s prosecutor’s office announced an investigation into a leaked intimate video allegedly showing Ince.

Currently, polls show that support for Kilicdaroglu is higher than for Erdogan.

Also read: Elections in Turkey: two candidates with good prospects and a different point of view