Erdoğan throws support behind Russia after Kılıçdaroğlu’s claim of interference in Turkish elections

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has thrown his support behind Russia after opposition Nation Alliance’s presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said Moscow was behind the sex tape scandal that led to Muharrem İnce’s withdrawal from the presidential race.

“Mr. Bye Bye Kemal is now attacking Mr. Putin, Russia. Hey Kılıçdaroğlu, (U.S. President Joe) Biden’s record of ‘Erdoğan needs to be defeated’ had (previously) come out. It exists in the records. But you (Kılıçdaroğlu) are incapable, miserable. When Biden had said so, I hadn’t said, ‘Why did Biden say so?’” Erdoğan said, referring to Biden’s previous remarks that Washington should embolden Turkish opposition leaders “to be able to take on and defeat Erdoğan.  

Erdoğan made the remarks on May 12 while addressing the 3rd Turkey Youth Summit in Istanbul.

“When you (Kılıçdaroğlu) attack Putin, no offense but I would not agree to this because our ties with Russia are not less important than those with the U.S. Our trade volume is more (with Russia). But, Mr. Bye Bye Kemal, you don’t know or understand what state management is. We are in contact with all corners of the world; we know what state management is,” Erdoğan said.

Homeland Party leader Muharrem İnce withdrew from the presidential race on May 11, citing a faked "character assassination" carried out online. He gave few details.

Afterwards, Kılıçdaroğlu said that Russia was responsible for the release of "deep fake" online content, urging the country to not interfere with Turkish domestic affairs.

The Kremlin later denied interfering. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the people who had passed on such allegations to Kılıçdaroğlu were liars and that Russia valued its ties with Turkey enormously.