Turkey’s Erdogan lays out promises to party base, but offers few details
The president pledged a way out of the economic crisis and promised improved living standards ahead of May polls.
ISTANBUL — Surrounded by the pageantry of his party, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took to the stage of the Ankara Sports Hall on Tuesday to unveil candidates and a manifesto for next month’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
Erdogan, who is seeking his third presidential term on May 14, stepped out with his wife Emine onto a stage backed by a dazzling display of blue LEDs and spotlights. The lightbulb symbol of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) and stylized crescent-and-star logos declaring the “Century of Turkey” flanked the podium.
Directly in front of him sat the party’s senior figures and hundreds of prospective legislators standing for parliament in the dual poll.
In the stands of the hall, usually filled by basketball and volleyball spectators, were thousands of party members waving flags in the AKP’s orange, white and blue colors. The party’s election slogans — “The right man at the right time for the Century of Turkey” and “Moving forward with the right steps” — loomed above the crowd.
