The main rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential elections today took more radical and tougher positions on migrant issues and negotiations with Kurdish extremists.
Opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who won 44,88 percent of the vote in the first round of elections on Sunday, promised to deport millions of refugees upon coming to power and that he would not hold peace talks with Kurdish extremists.
Voters in Turkey will return to the polls on May 28 for a runoff after neither Erdogan nor his rival Kemal Kilicdaroglu won more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round.
Erdogan remaining in power would mean the continuation of the policy of cooperation with Russia, which the West, along with stifling democracy and media freedom, most resents the current president.
According to the Associated Press, Erdogan is in a good position to win the second round because his coalition has retained power in parliament despite inflation and criticism of the government's response to the February earthquake.
Kilicdaroglu, at the head of the alliance of six opposition parties, has so far led a positive and conciliatory campaign and in his program committed to the rule of law, stating that the goal is "full membership" in the EU.
He has promised to change laws against free speech and other forms of democratic backsliding, and to repair an economy plagued by high inflation and currency devaluation.
However, Kilicdaroglu sharpened his rhetoric this week in order to attract nationalist voters and those who voted for the third candidate, nationalist politician Sinan Ogan, in the first round, according to AP.
Ogan, who received 5,2 percent of the vote in the first round, was supported by anti-immigrant parties. He promised to consider the possibility of returning migrants by force.
"Erdogan, you have not protected the borders or the honor of the country. You have brought more than 10 million refugees. You have turned your own citizens into refugees. I declare that as soon as I come to power, I will send all the refugees home," Kilicdaroglu said in a speech at the headquarters of his party.
Turkey is the first in the world in the number of refugees, including at least 3,7 million Syrians.
Kilicdaroglu also criticized Erdogan for trying to hold peace talks with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that failed in 2015.
Ogan has not yet endorsed Erdogan or Kilicdaroglu in the runoff, although it was unclear what percentage of his supporters would vote for his candidate in the runoff.
Bonus video:
