CHP hangs poster of Kılıçdaroğlu on historic Istanbul City Walls after gov't refusal to remove Erdoğan’s

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The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has hung a poster of Nation Alliance’s presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on Istanbul’s historic city walls, after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)’s refusal to bring down the poster of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

On April 19, CHP’s Istanbul provincial head Canan Kaftancıoğlu reacted against Erdoğan’s poster on the 5th-century city walls by sharing its photos on Twitter and saying “It is forbidden to post this (poster) on Istanbul Walls that belong to the Treasury.”

Later, pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak’s journalist Taha Hüseyin Karagöz shared a footage showing Kılıçdaroğlu’s poster hanging on the historic walls.

In response, Kaftancıoğlu replied to Karagöz’s post, saying the CHP’s action was a response of “reciprocity.” “If those running the state are not bringing down that poster (of Erdoğan), although they know it is banned, although we have warned them, we have said, ‘We would also hang it' and did so. (They did not bring down one of them, but now maybe they would do their duty and bring down all of them.) Or it is up to them. Bring it on!” Kaftancıoğlu tweeted on April 22.

Four politicians are running in Turkey's 2023 presidential elections: ruling People’s Alliance candidate Erdoğan, opposition bloc Nation Alliance’s candidate Kılıçdaroğlu, Homeland Party leader Muharrem İnce and far-right ATA Alliance’s candidate Sinan Oğan.