Turkey is preparing for the May election. How will people vote? 

President Tayyip Erdogan has ruled in Turkey for the last two decades. But the country is now preparing for new elections, and its outcome might differ. Erdogan’s opponents are working relentlessly to ensure that there will be no tampering during the election. Meanwhile, analysts think that the opponents have almost similar chances of winning.     

In February, earthquakes devastated the country’s southeast regions. The disaster killed approximately 50,000 people while making millions homeless. Officials and citizens already concerned about potential irregularities are even more watchful now. They plan to watch the polling carefully to ensure that no one tries to cast false ballots.

Many people killed during the earthquakes still aren’t officially declared dead. In most cases, that’s because bodies were not recovered in the rubble. However, it also means that these deceased people still appear eligible for giving a vote.

Erdogan has already faced criticism many times. Turkish people have already been protesting the deepening economic crisis before the earthquakes. And the latter made matters much worse in the country. While the government tried to mobilize forces quickly to mitigate the damage caused by the earthquakes, some citizens thought that it wasn’t efficient enough.

Who is Erdogan’s strongest rival? 

Kemal Kilicdaroglu is the most likely candidate to become the President if Erdogan fails to receive enough votes. Polls show that they have almost the same chances of winning the election. Still, there is time. Campaigning is just beginning.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu is part of an alliance of six opposition parties. They aim to ensure that elections are free and fair. Idris Sahin, the deputy chair of the DEVA Party, noted that the opposition plans to recruit professionals, including lawyers, to monitor the voting process.

 They are also checking the lists to see whether those who died have been removed and whether those who moved somewhere else are registered in their new residences. After the earthquakes, many of the people who lived had to move to new places.