Erdogan basing campaign on ploy of 'fake it till you make it'
Candidates representing the ruling party in Turkey's upcoming local elections are depending heavily on the president's popularity, which appears to be waning.
Meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's biggest fan: Gursel Cephaneci, a Turkish actor in his 60s. It is not unusual to see actors praising the president on various occasions, but Cephaneci was speaking to staunchly pro-government channel A Haber in a "random" street interview.
Camera and mic teams go around asking people on the street who they will be voting for and why, as the March 31 elections are fast approaching. Then these recordings are posted online, with the most attractive bits and pieces becoming trending videos on social media.
On Feb. 24, it was Cephaneci's turn on camera. He spoke passionately about his love for Erdogan and shouted angrily about Erdogan's opposition.
On Feb. 25, journalist Can Bursali tweeted, “I spoke with the owner of the casting agency Cephaneci works for, Kemal Ekenel. He said that A Haber had contacted him, and Cephaneci was assigned to talk to A Haber.” Observers on social media promptly engaged in fact-checking Cephaneci’s statements, particularly his criticism of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) chairman, Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
