Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s opponent in Turkey’s presidential race raised his tone on immigration on Thursday, pledging to send all migrants back to their countries if elected in the May 28 run-off.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, candidate of a six-party opposition alliance, won 45% of support in Sunday’s poll, while Erdogan won 49.5%, falling just short of the majority needed to avoid a run-off.
Kilicdaroglu’s most recent comments came amid expectations that a third candidate in the presidential race would announce his decision for the second round.
Sinan Ogan, a nationalist politician backed by an anti-refugee party, won 5.2%, making him a clincher for the second round.
Addressing his party members at the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Kilicdaroglu maintained his defiant tone against Erdogan’s immigration policies.
“Erdogan, you deliberately allowed 10 million refugees into Turkey. You even put Turkish citizenship up for sale to get imported votes,” Kilicdaroglu said, without providing evidence.
Turkey is home to the world’s largest refugee population of around 4 million, according to official figures.
“I am announcing here: I will send all refugees back home as soon as I am elected president, period,” he added.
(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever)
Source: CNN Brasil
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