Presidential candidate says Russia intervenes in Turkish elections
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Kemal Kilicdaroglu, main challenger of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said on Friday that his party has concrete evidence of Russia’s responsibility for the release of “fake” online content ahead of presidential elections that will take place on Sunday.
Reuters said, citing Kilicdaroglu, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), that it was unacceptable for Russia to intervene in Turkey’s internal affairs.
However, he added that should he become president he would maintain Ankara’s good ties with Moscow.
Reportedly, Russia has been accused in the past of meddling in foreign elections including in the United States, which Moscow denies.
“We find it unacceptable for another country to interfere in Turkey’s election process in favour of a political party,” Kilicdaroglu said.
However, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later denied interfering, saying that the people who had passed on such allegations to Kilicdaroglu were liars and that Russia valued its ties with Turkey enormously, according to Reuters.
Kilicdaroglu reiterated his confidence that he would “replace an authoritarian rule.”
He stressed that Turkey, which also has close business, economic and tourist ties with Russia, would pursue a fine balance in relations with Moscow.
“We don’t want to break our friendly relations but we will not allow interference in our internal matters,” he added.