The opposition candidate on elections in Turkey, Kemal Kilicdarogluwith a message on Twitter in Turkish and Russian, accuses Russia of being behind the operation against Muharrem Ince.

“Dear Russian friends, you are behind the montages, the conspiracies, the Deep Fake content, the tapes that were exposed yesterday in this country. If you want our friendship to continue after May 15, take your hand from the Turkish state. We are still in favor of cooperation and friendship,” he wrote on Twitter.

The candidate for the presidential elections in Turkey Muharrem Inje announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy, just three days before the election, but clarified that his party, “Homeland”will remain in the electoral race.

“Probably this Sunday Turkey will elect a president, this development brings a president, now we’ll see who it will be on Sunday” commented SKAI correspondent in Istanbul Manolis Kostidis.

“I am withdrawing my candidacy,” said the head of the Memleket (Homeland) party, which in the last polls secured 2% to 4% of the vote. “The Kemalists must be in the new Parliament. Turkey’s security is the party of the Motherland. I want a vote for the Homeland from every house. I am withdrawing my candidacy. I’m doing this for my country” he reported.

In the past few days, Inge has been under pressure to retire after reports of videos showing him involve in a sexual affair.

He speaks of a conspiracy originating from the Gulenists (FETO) and the Kurds of the PKK.

Ince had become known in the Turkish political scene as one of the fiercest voices of the opposition since 2002, against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The fanatical Kemalist Indze, once a professor of Chemistry and Physics, originally from Thessaloniki, was once his “chosen” Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the Republican People’s Party (CHP).

In 2018, he failed to defeat Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the elections, left the party and founded his own. The candidate of the Republican People’s Party in the presidential elections of 2018, founded the party “Homeland” in May 2021. Therefore, the withdrawal from the “race” seems at first glance to reinforces Kilicdaroglu.

Several party officials have resigned in recent days over concerns that Muarem Ince’s candidacy could prevent main opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu from beating Tayyip Erdogan.