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Meet the mysterious social media team behind Turkey's opposition candidate

Turkey's most popular opposition candidate, Muharrem Ince, owes a good part of his success so far to his mysterious social media team, which granted Al-Monitor an interview.

A woman takes a picture of Muharrem Ince, presidential candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), by her mobile phone during an election rally in Diyarbakir, Turkey June 11, 2018. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar - RC1200C00C70
A woman takes a picture of Muharrem Ince, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party, with her mobile phone during an election rally, Diyarbakir, Turkey, June 11, 2018. — REUTERS/Sertac Kayar

After months of denying the possibility of snap elections vehemently, the Turkish government called for early elections 16 months sooner than planned. One of the likely reasons for this decision was to curtail the time available for the opposition to prepare an effective campaign. The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) did not announce its candidate until May 4, leaving it merely 50 days on the campaign trail.

In the beginning of the election campaign, not many were hopeful of the new opposition candidate Muharrem Ince, but he and his team have been able to run a calm, positive and witty campaign that makes good use of technology and embraces a diverse public.

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