The candidacy of the president of the Party for the Fatherland, Muharrem Ince, has caused an upheaval of poll forecasts for the Turkish elections. “Erdogan could not be more pleased,” comments Redaktions Netzwerk Deutschland. “Ince, then as a member of the opposition CHP, ran against the Turkish president in the 2018 elections as well, garnering 31% of the vote while Erdogan got 53%. Indje then disappeared until 2021, when he founded a new party of his own, the Party for the Fatherland.”

RND comments that “the motives behind Ince’s candidacy remain a mystery, as the Turkish politician has no prospect of winning this time either. Most polls estimate that he will garner around 5% – a percentage that could hurt Kilicdaroglu. […] Now, the polls show Erdogan as the winner, with a lead of 5%.”

Many speculate that even Erdogan himself may be behind Ince’s insistence, however the German network reports that “there are also reports that Ince asked for political compensation from the opposition in order to withdraw his candidacy, something in which the Kilicdaroglu refused to consent. […] CHP politicians consider Inje a traitor. For Erdogan, however, he could be a savior,” the German media concludes.