Opposition presidential candidate İhsanoğlu pairs name with bread in campaign slogan

ISTANBUL

Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu speaks during the presentation of his campaign program, July 10. İhsanoğlu has chosen the slogan 'Ekmek için Ekmeleddin' – which means 'Ekmeleddin for bread' – accompanied by a logo showing the Turkish map represented as a wheat field. AA Photo

Opposition presidential candidate Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, has unveiled his official campaign slogan, pairing his name with the word “ekmek,” which in Turkish means “bread” when used as a noun and “to plant” when used as a verb.

The joint candidate of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) has chosen the slogan “Ekmek için Ekmeleddin” – which means “Ekmeleddin for bread” – accompanied by a logo showing the Turkish map represented as a wheat field.

The campaign of the former Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) head also has four sub-slogans derived from the meaning of the verb “ekmek,” – to plant “love,” “respect,” “livelihood” and “unity” – targeting the voters of each of the four parties.

“We have always voted for the Justice and Development Party [AKP]. But now our votes will go to Professor Ekmel,” a billboard targeting AKP voters reads, depicting a family of four members in a wheat field.

During the presentation event, İhsanoğlu referred to the proverb “what you sow is what you reap” to explain the choice of his slogan and logo.

“I am the presidential candidate of all parties. I am not close to one party more than any other. I have a handful of seeds in my hand that I wish to plant,” he said, indirectly accusing the government of not showing enough respect to the institutions and society.

“We will need to plant the seeds of respect to be respectful of the government, the judiciary and all the segments of society. If elected, I will work to improve these relationships in the framework of respect,” said İhsanoğlu.

To stress the choice of the concept of bread, İhsanoğlu said that despite investments in infrastructure and “expensive cars” most Turks are in debt.

“Wherever I go, I hear that farmers, workers and the unemployed are in debt. You will tell me that the presidency is not an executive position. This may be true, but by joining hands and making calls, the president can show the path through his competence and position,” he said.

İhsanoğlu also paid tribute to Gezi protester Ali İsmail Korkmaz on the first anniversary of his death, which was caused after he was beaten by plainclothes police.

For his part, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to run with two mottos – “National will, national power” and “The man of the nation, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan” – and a logo representing the “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Erdoğan’s logo was criticized shortly after being unveiled for its apparent resemblance to U.S. President Barak Obama’s campaign logo in 2008, though one government minister revealed that the design included the name of the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic.