The opposition candidate for the presidency of Turkey, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, pledged on Tuesday that he would repatriate the refugees who fled Syria because of the war that broke out in that country in 2011 within two years if he and his faction prevail in the presidential and parliamentary elections. May elections.

“We will send our brothers and sisters from Syria back to their homeland within two years at the latest,” Mr. Kilicdaroglu said during a campaign speech in Eskisehir (Dorylaion, about 350 km southeast of Istanbul).

The candidate did not specify how he would implement the somewhat ambitious plan. Experts point out that legally, it is anything but simple to invite – or force – the Syrian refugees, who enjoy temporary international protection in Turkey, to return to their country.

Mr. Kilicdaroglu’s promise comes as resentment against refugees in Turkey intensifies amid an economic crisis.

“What are 3.6 million Syrians doing in our country?” the opposition candidate asked rhetorically, arguing that their presence exacerbates the unemployment problem, although at the same time he warned against “racism” against refugees.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, 74, leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) since 2010, often accuses outgoing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 69, of pursuing a bankrupt foreign policy and promises to seek improved relations with other countries in the region, including of Syria.

According to government data, Turkey has welcomed 3.7 million refugees from Syria.

President Erdogan, for his part, has announced plans for the “voluntary” return to Syria of up to 1 million refugees, mainly in areas in the north of the country, where the Turkish army still holds many zones and has established bases.

Polls suggest that the May 14 showdown between Mr. Kilicdaroglu and Mr. Erdogan – who has dominated the political game in Turkey since the 2000s – will be a close affair.