Turkish presidential candidate İnce: I would win in first round if voting age was 15

Duvar English

Homeland Party chair Muharrem İnce, who is running for the office, on April 4 said that he would win the May 14 election if the voting age was 15 instead of 18.

“No one will win in the first round. I will run in the second round. I would win in the first round if the voting age was 15,” İnce told broadcaster Habertürk.

“Young people do not question my sincerity. I say right to right and wrong to wrong. I do not want to leave Turkey to choose between Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu who is dependent on the HDP or Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who is dependent on the foreign powers,” İnce added.

With his TikTok dance, İnce is a popular figure for younger generations.

İnce's remarks on voting age stirred a huge reaction on social media as people said cartoon characters would win the election if the voting age was lowered to four.

When reminded of his previous remarks that he might withdraw from the presidential race, İnce said “(The main opposition bloc) does not trust themselves or their candidates. They could not choose their candidates in 13 meetings. If you oppose Erdoğan, you are a terrorist, if you oppose the Table of Six, you are a traitor. There is no need for us to withdraw here, technically it is not possible. It's over.”

“Everyone knows that this election will go to the second round. This will be a pre-selection. Is Mr. Kılıçdaroğlu luckier than me against Erdoğan? Everyone should ask this to their conscience. I am much luckier,” İnce argued.

İnce is widely criticized for not withdrawing from the presidential race on behalf of the main opposition Nation Alliance’s candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as he might split the opposition's votes. However, he argues that Turkey needs to get rid of both the government and the main opposition. There are also concerns that President Erdoğan might win the second round if the ruling People's Alliance garner majority seats in the Parliament.

In the 2018 elections, İnce had run as the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s (CHP) presidential candidate and received 30 percent of the votes. He now claims that he will garner 60 percent of the votes in this election which is scheduled to be held on May 14.

After losing the 2018 presidential elections, İnce's relationship with the CHP began to deteriorate. In 2021, he resigned from the party in order to found his "Homeland Movement." In the same year, he and several former CHP members formed the Homeland Party as an alternative "Kemalist" party.

Polls suggest that the presidential race will be between Kılıçdaroğlu and Erdoğan.

Four politicians are officially running in the May 14 presidential election: ruling People’s Alliance candidate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, opposition bloc Nation Alliance’s candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, Homeland Party leader Muharrem İnce and far-right ATA Alliance’s candidate Sinan Oğan.