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Turkish opposition leader rejects accusations US using him to stage coup in country

Kemal Kilicdaroglu vowed that, if elected president, he would restore rights and justice in Turkey

ANKARA, May 2. /TASS/. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the Turkish oppositions’ joint candidate in the presidential race, on Tuesday rejected accusations from the country’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu that the West was plotting a coup for the May 14 elections with support from the opposition.

Kilicdaroglu, who is the chairman of the Turkish Republican People’s Party, made the remarks at a campaign rally in eastern Turkey, according to a broadcast by the Halk television channel.

"Someone came out and said that May 14 would be the date the West attempted a political coup, that if the government [as a result of the elections] changes, it will allegedly be a coup," Kilicdaroglu said, paraphrasing remarks by the interior minister. "In fact, it is you who are carrying out a coup. This country is tired of coups. There is no justice in the justice system, there is no justice in the courtroom. If there’s a hungry child, then there is injustice in this country. If a person can’t walk the streets of a city with a smile, it means this country has problems," the opposition leader said.

The Turkish interior minister said earlier that the United States and the West are allegedly hatching a plan to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, using the opposition as a tool and election day on May 14 as the occasion to pull off the conspiracy.

Kilicdaroglu vowed that, if elected president, he would restore rights and justice in Turkey.

"Let that be my promise. I will serve all 85 million citizens of Turkey. I will show respect for each of you," he said.

The rally was attended by the mayors of Istanbul and Ankara, Ekrem Imamoglu and Mansur Yavas, who were offered the posts of vice presidents if Kilicdaroglu becomes president.

Kilicdaroglu, 74, and Erdogan, 69, are believed to be the main contenders for the presidency of Turkey in the May 14 elections. Muharrem Ince and Sinan Ogan, who represent other political ideologies, are also in the running, but analysts said they won’t pose much of a challenge to Erdogan and Kilicdaroglu. To win the election, a candidate needs at least 50% of the vote plus 1 vote, which many analysts believe to be unlikely. If no one wins in the first round, the country will hold a runoff vote on May 28. The winner will be the candidate who receives the majority of the votes.

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