European Socialists announce support for Kılıçdaroğlu in Turkey polls

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The Party of European Socialists (PES) has declared its support for opposition candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in Turkey's upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

The PES, the second-largest political family represented in the EU, expressed its backing for Kılıçdaroğlu's commitment to completing the reforms necessary for Turkey's visa liberalization process with the EU.

Kılıçdaroğlu is the leader of the PES associate member party Republican People's Party (CHP) in Turkey and the unity candidate for six opposition parties in the upcoming election. He has promised to fulfill the remaining benchmarks required for Turkey to complete the Visa Liberalisation Roadmap, which would allow visa-free travel for Turkish citizens.

"A beacon of hope"

Giacomo Filibeck, the PES Executive Secretary General, hailed Kılıçdaroğlu and the united opposition as a "beacon of hope for democracy, human rights, freedom, cooperation and bringing Turkey closer to Europe."

Filibeck also praised Kılıçdaroğlu's leadership and pledged the PES's support in achieving the critical criteria for visa liberalization.

The PES expressed its disagreement with Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who had claimed that it was impossible to swiftly accomplish the visa liberalization criteria for Turkish citizens. The PES believed that this was a reflection of a lack of vision and knowledge on the European Union policy and processes.

Turkey's upcoming elections, scheduled for May 14, will be a crucial test for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Kılıçdaroğlu's united opposition campaign is based on promoting democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and the European agenda after years of increasingly centralized power under Erdoğan.

???????? Good luck to @kilicdarogluk, the common candidate of the Turkish opposition in this Sunday's presidential elections. We stand with the Turkish people in their fight for a society where the rule of law, civil liberties, and the separation of powers are promoted and respected. pic.twitter.com/DztWZYkqsU

— PES ???????? (@PES_PSE) May 12, 2023

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