Nation Alliance

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the presidential candidate of the six-party Nation Alliance visited Anıtkabir on May 13, a day before the critical elections. 

Anıtkabir is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of the country's War of Independence and founder of modern Türkiye.

Presidential and parliamentary elections have begun at 8 am local time.

"As of now, all measures for healthy and secure elections have been taken by the Supreme Election Board [YSK] and its election committees in the provinces and districts," YSK head Ahmet Yener told the journalists on May 12.

Some 60 million Turks will cast their votes on May 14 to elect their 13th president and the 600-seat parliament in an election that many describe as the most critical one not only for Türkiye but also for the wider region.

Muharrem Ince, leader of the Homeland Party and former presidential candidate for Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party, CHP. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

"I will leave them no excuses. Otherwise, they will put the blame on us [if incumbent President Erdogan's wins]," Ince told a press conference in Ankara in front of his party headquarters.

The distribution of the ministries will be made according to the number of deputies the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the İYİ (Good) Party will receive, the latter's chair Meral Akşener has said.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the joint presidential candidate of the oppositional Nation Alliance, has urged calm with only a few days left to one of Türkiye's most critical elections and criticized the government for not taking security measures to prevent the incident that took place in Erzurum over the weekend.

Turkish public broadcaster TRT has released campaign speeches of presidential candidates and political party representatives ahead of the May 14 elections as part of a long-standing tradition.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, seeking to renew his tenure, urged voters to "choose trust and prevalence of stability."

A group attacked Nation Alliance vice presidential candidate and İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's election bus with stones during his rally in the eastern province of Erzurum on May 7, as some of those who attended the rally were injured.

İmamoglu said that a maximum of 300-400 "instigated people" organized the attack, but the police did not interfere with these people.

Turkey's opposition alliance has vowed to reverse many of  President Tayyip Erdogan's policies if elected in a May 14 election, including a return to a parliamentary democracy and economic orthodoxy, and a major shift in foreign policy.

Türkiye has been polarized, but the country needs to unite again, Nation Alliance presidential candidate and Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said on May 3.

"We have to strengthen democracy. We're so divided. We were divided into camps. Türkiye can't take it. We have to be together," he said holding a rally in the Black Sea province of Sinop.