‘All hopes are riding on the election’: Alevi minority yearns for change ahead of Turkish vote
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From our special correspondents in Iskenderun, Turkey – With just two days to go ahead of Turkey’s high-stakes presidential and parliamentary elections, the country is at a crossroads. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking an unprecedented third term in power but is facing a serious challenge in the shape of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, a member of the Muslim Alevi minority that has long faced discrimination and is yearning for change.
The opposition candidate’s faith and origins have been major talking points during the campaign – an unthinkable prospect in past decades, when Alevis faced significant discrimination and even persecution. His promise to build a more inclusive nation has resonated with a community that feels abandoned by the state and has tired of Erdogan’s 20-year rule.
Ahead of the vote, our reporters Julie Dungelhoeff, Mohammed Farhat and Nadia Massih went to meet Alevis who survived February’s devastating earthquakes – to listen to their stories and hear their hopes for Turkey’s future. Click on the player above to watch their report from the quake-stricken port city of Iskenderun.
>> Read more: ‘All we’re asking is to be recognised’: the Alevis of Turkey struggle for equality
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