Turkish opposition bloc decides on presidential candidate

Today, March 6, the opposition bloc of Türkiye will announce the leader of the Republican People's Party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, as its single candidate for the election on May 14, Report informs via Hurriyet newspaper.

The leaders of the Turkish opposition started the election campaign already in February: they visited the earthquake-hit areas, criticizing the authorities. Incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is running again, accused Western countries of a "despicable campaign" to influence the election.

The Turkish opposition accuses the current authorities of corruption, which led to numerous casualties during the earthquake in the province of Kahramanmaras. More than 45,000 people died in the aftermath of the quake. According to opposition publication Gazete Duvar, building norms have been undermined by "a controversial amnesty for illegal construction that has generated billions of liras in revenue for the government and closely associated construction companies."

Earlier, Erdogan confirmed that the elections would be held on May 14.