Recep Tayyip Erdogan's rival for the post of leader of Turkey, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, published a video message that went viral and caused a wide public outcry, POLITICO reports..

Kilichdaroglu stated that he is an Alevi, a member of the country's main religious minority, which has often been discriminated against..

The video of the presidential candidate, who is supported by six opposition parties, was viewed almost 20 million times on Twitter in less than a day.. The tweet itself has been viewed over 70 million times..

Turkish opposition presidential candidate Kilicdaroglu can deny Erdogan control of the polarizing narrative, without wielding the instruments available to the latter. Discussing his Alevi identity (considered taboo in? ), Kilicdaroglu is pulling the rug from under Erdogan's feet https://t. co/D7SkAIds2B.

— Soner Cagaptay (@SonerCagaptay) April 20, 2023.

Although most Turks have long known that Kilicdaroglu comes from the Alevi minority, his decision to emphasize his identity is seen by many as a call for pluralism and tolerance and an attempt to create a contrast with Erdogan, who emphasized his Sunni identity for much of his political career..

" I am a sincere Muslim who grew up in the faith of the Prophet Muhammad and Ali. Our identity is what makes us who we are,” presidential candidate says in video addressing voters for the first time.

Erdogan has been repeatedly accused of playing on the Alevi origin of Kilicdaroglu during political rallies. Thus, the rival of the incumbent seeks to resist the politics of polarization.

The video received over 360,000 likes and many Alevis commented on their own experiences of discrimination.

This is an important step as the Alevis, who worship on Thursdays instead of Fridays and honor the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam Ali, often try to hide their identity among a Sunni Muslim-majority country.. Despite the fact that, according to polls, Alevis make up 20% of the population, they are not officially recognized by the Turkish state..

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Some critics say poll-leading Kilicdaroglu, whose Republican People's Party was defeated in the elections, will find it difficult to garner the support of conservative Sunni voters..

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu accused Kilicdaroglu of playing the role of a victim in a viral video.

The former official Kilicdaroglu, who is called the Turkish Gandhi, often posts videos during his election campaign, recorded in the kitchen of his modest home..

Opposition candidate urged young people, especially first-time voters, who could play a decisive role in the May elections, to fundamentally change the system.

“Come on, young people, let’s cross this threshold together,” the 74-year-old candidate said.

Meanwhile, polls show Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party are losing support due to deteriorating economic conditions and poor government response to the earthquake that hit the country's southeast in February..

The candidate from the united opposition is not going to join the anti-Russian sanctions, but wants to make relations with the Russian Federation more transparent, based on the fact that Turkey is a member of NATO.

Turkish presidential elections to be held on May 14. The main competitors are Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been in power for 19 years, and the leader of the united opposition, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who has a chance to win..

The latter promises a transition from authoritarian rule to " Erdogan called his possible loss " The political struggle comes amid economic troubles and the aftermath of an earthquake that killed 50,000. Human. Read about the political consequences of a natural cataclysm in the article by Vladimir Kravchenko “Earthquake in Turkey: a “black swan” flew to Erdogan on ZN. U.A..