Turkey election: Erdogan rival Kilicdaroglu promises peace and democracy

Danger comes successful galore forms.

For Turkey's long-time person Recep Tayyip Erdogan, it comes successful the signifier of a erstwhile civilian servant, fixed to making bosom emojis with his hands.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, backed by a six-party absorption alliance, says if helium wins helium volition bring state and ideology to Turkey, immoderate it takes.

"The younker privation democracy," helium told the BBC. "They don't privation the constabulary to travel to their doors aboriginal successful the greeting conscionable due to the fact that they tweeted."

He is the Islamist leader's main rival successful elections connected 14 May and has a constrictive pb successful sentiment polls. This choky contention is expected to spell to a 2nd circular 2 weeks later.

Currently Turks tin spell to jailhouse for "insulting the president". Many have.

"I americium telling young radical they tin criticise maine freely. I volition marque definite they person this right," says the 74-year-old, who leads the main absorption Republican People's Party (CHP).

Some of Mr Kilicdaroglu's supporters fearfulness for his information but helium says it comes with the territory.

"Being successful authorities successful Turkey means choosing a beingness with risks. I volition locomotion my way immoderate Erdogan and his allies do. They can't enactment maine off. They can't scare me. I made a committedness to this nation."

President Erdogan, 69, has mocked his rival successful the past saying helium "couldn't adjacent herd a sheep". But he's harder to disregard now.

Arriving for a rally successful the larboard metropolis of Izmir, an absorption stronghold, the absorption campaigner is greeted by a oversea of flag-waving supporters.

There are chants of "Kilicdaroglu is the anticipation of the people". Many successful the assemblage are young. Five cardinal Turks volition ballot for the archetypal clip successful this election.

At 15, Oguz is excessively young to spell to the polls but couldn't enactment distant from the rally. "He is simply a bully person, and helium sees the aboriginal positively. If helium becomes president our system volition emergence up, and we volition emergence up."

Mr Kilicdaroglu told maine earlier the rally helium would reorient Turkey, and prioritise relations with the West, not the Kremlin.

"We privation to go a portion of the civilized world," helium said. "We privation escaped media and implicit judicial independence. Erdogan does not deliberation that way. He wants to beryllium much authoritarian. The quality betwixt america and Erdogan is the quality betwixt achromatic and white."

But volition Recep Tayyip Erdogan spell softly if helium is defeated aft 20 years successful power, archetypal arsenic premier curate and present all-powerful president?

"We volition discontinue him, and nonstop him to his corner," said Mr Kilicdaroglu. "He volition measurement backmost quietly. No 1 should person immoderate concerns astir it."

Others aren't truthful sure. There are indications that the Turkish person whitethorn beryllium preparing to quality the effect if helium loses. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has warned the ballot volition beryllium "a coup effort by the West".

Mr Kilicdaroglu said the combined absorption would beryllium vigilant, trusting neither the president, "nor his Supreme Election Council nor his judges".

"By having much than 1 perceiver successful each the polling stations, we privation to guarantee that votes are formed correctly, securely, and the counting is done properly. We person been taking precautions to execute this, moving hard for a twelvemonth and a half."

In galore ways helium is the anti-Erdogan. He has recorded run videos astatine his humble room table, beverage towels hanging neatly successful the background.

Showing helium knows his onions, his rival appeared successful 1 video with 1 successful hand, informing prices would support soaring if Mr Erdogan remained successful power. "Now, 1 kilogram of bulb is 30 liras," helium said. "If helium stays it volition beryllium 100 liras."

The president's economical policies are wide blamed for rampant ostentation here. Whoever wins volition inherit a breached system and a divided federation - there's nary magic slug for either.

On stage, flanked by different absorption leaders, Mr Kilicdaroglu makes his trademark bosom emoji for the crowds. "Everything volition beryllium beautiful," helium says. "Believe it." And they do.

But his rally connected the waterfront successful Izmir came lone a time aft the president attracted his ain ample gathering, which was segregated.

Many spiritual conservatives volition instrumentality with him. He speaks their language. And helium has shored up his enactment with pre-election spending including wage increases.

As polling time draws adjacent determination is an undercurrent of tension.

Many conversations are peppered with predetermination speech - and fears - and Turkey faces a stark prime of 2 competing visions.

A caller canvass of sentiment polls suggests that Mr Kilicdaroglu volition triumph the presidency but that the president's confederation is up successful the contention for parliament.

With the predetermination connected a weapon edge, no-one tin beryllium definite if the coming weeks volition walk peacefully.