Kılıçdaroğlu says his struggle will continue

ANKARA

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the joint presidential candidate of the Nation Alliance, has vowed to continue his struggle for democracy and called on the people to stand tall in the coming period.

“The Nation Alliance, with all its components, did struggle on all fronts. We will continue to give this struggle,” Kılıçdaroğlu said in a statement late on May 28.

While indirectly admitting he lost the presidential race against incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Kılıçdaroğlu described the runoff polls as one of the most unfair elections ever in Turkish history. “The means of the state has been entirely pledged to one person,” he said, referring to Erdoğan.

Kılıçdaroğlu thanked all the electors who cast their votes and specifically hailed the components of the Nation Alliance, stressing that more than 25 million people voted for him.

“I could never stay silent when your rights were violated. I could never tolerate you becoming second-class citizens after millions of refugees came here,” he said. “I fought for all these and will continue to fight,” Kılıçdaroğlu added.

The real heroes of the elections process were youth and women, Kılıçdaroğlu underlined and thanked them for their efforts.

“My real sorrow is the fact that we will observe more difficult days ahead. But I can assure you that it will again be us who will try to stand in front of them,” the presidential candidate stressed.

Akşener: Polls conveyed messages

For her part, Meral Akşener, the chairwoman of the İYİ (Good) Party, said her party got the messages conveyed by people on May 28.

“Don’t forget that we are still here, at the parliament. We will continue to fulfill our responsibility,” she said in a press statement.

“I want to congratulate Mr. Erdoğan for being elected, but he should not forget that the polls conveyed messages to him as well,” Akşener said, calling on him to analyze the results of the polls in an objective and honest way.

In the meantime, following the statements of Kılıçdaroğlu and Akşener, the leaders of the six-party Nation Alliance came together at the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) headquarters.