Labor and Freedom Alliance endorses Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for Turkish presidential elections as polls show declining support for Erdogan

ANKARA — The Labor and Freedom Alliance, a coalition of democratic political parties and organizations opposing the Turkish government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, announced its support for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in the upcoming presidential elections. The alliance aims to mobilize the efforts of the Turkish opposition to secure Kılıçdaroğlu’s victory and end Erdoğan’s 20-year hold on power.

The Alliance has urged all sects and nationalities in Turkey to support Kılıçdaroğlu in the parliamentary elections, as it is the only way to ensure representation for the oppressed in Parliament.

The announcement comes at a time when opinion polls in Turkey suggest a decline in support for the Erdoğan. Polls indicate that Kılıçdaroğlu is likely to receive more than 50% of the vote in the first round.

Kılıçdaroğlu has pledged to restore normal relations with Syria if the opposition wins the upcoming elections. He stated in a speech delivered before a large audience that the opposition would work to reopen the embassies of both countries and facilitate the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.