Kılıçdaroğlu, Erdoğan's Rival, Accuses Russia of Fabricating and Distributing Fake News

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the candidate from the opposition alliance "People's Alliance" and the leader of the Republican People's Party, who is the main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey's elections, has accused Russia of conspiracy and demanded that Moscow "keep its hands off the Turkish state." He made this call in a tweet published in Turkish and Russian.

"Dear Russian friends, you stand behind the montages, conspiracies, Deep Fake content, and recordings revealed in this country yesterday. If you wish to continue our friendship after May 15, keep your hands away from the Turkish state. We continue to advocate for cooperation and friendship," he wrote.

Kılıçdaroğlu did not specify what exactly he was referring to, but according to RBC, the statement came after President Erdoğan showed a video during a meeting with his supporters on May 7, in which the leader of the Kurdish militants expressed support for his opponent.

"We will not allow Kılıçdaroğlu, who walks hand-in-hand with terrorist organizations, to divide this homeland," Erdoğan stated.

Later, reporters from Deutsche Welle found out that the recording was edited from two different videos with different origins and content.

On May 10, Kılıçdaroğlu gave an interview in which he announced his intention to recalibrate Ankara's foreign policy towards the West. "Turkey’s foreign policy will be turned 180 degrees. We will bring all the democratic rules provided by the European Union to our country," he stated.

The politician assured that if elected president, changes would be noticeable not only in Turkey but also around the world. Additionally, Kılıçdaroğlu expressed a desire to revive Turkey's prolonged application for EU membership.