Kilicdaroglu leaves Erdogan's shadow in Turkey's election campaign

Opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who has spent his whole career in Tayyip Erdogan's shadow, thinks the time is now to lead Turkey in a new direction and undo much of the legacy of the man who has controlled politics for two decades.

The former civil servant was chosen by a coalition of six opposition parties to challenge Erdogan in the elections on May 14, which are seen to be among the most important in the nation's recent history.

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After an inclusive campaign promising remedies to a cost-of-living issue that has eroded the president's popularity in recent years, opinion surveys often show Kilicdaroglu, 74, keeping an edge and perhaps winning in a second round vote.

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He has promised a return to traditional economic policies, the parliamentary form of government, independence for the judiciary, which detractors claim Erdogan has abused to repress opposition, and improved ties with the West.

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Even while the opposition's turnaround plan is anticipated to cause financial market instability and maybe the latest in a string of currency crises, it intends to reduce inflation, which reached 85% last year.

"I know people are struggling to get by. I know the cost of living and the hopelessness of young people," Kilicdaroglu told a rally last week. "The time has come for change. A new spirit and understanding is necessary."

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Detractors claim that Kilicdaroglu, who is despised by Erdogan amid his repeated electoral setbacks as the leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), does not have the ability to mobilise crowds and does not provide a clear vision for a time after Erdogan.

He wants to capitalise on the opposition's victory in municipal elections in 2019, when the CHP beat Erdogan's AK Party in Istanbul and other major cities with the help of supporters of other opposition parties.

Many people are unsure if Kilicdaroglu can defeat Erdogan, the president with the longest tenure in the country, whose charismatic campaigning has helped him win more than a dozen elections.

Analysts claim that Erdogan is more vulnerable to loss than ever, despite his heavy-handed control of the press, judiciary, and government spending on social aid before to the election.

The inflationary crisis that decimated household budgets was sparked by Erdogan's efforts to lower interest rates, the opposition has emphasised. According to the government, as part of a strategy promoting lira holdings, the policy boosted exports and investment.

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