Six years ago, at a global forum in Strasbourg, I called on the world’s democrats to unite to address regional and global challenges. The same understanding underpins the policies I have pursued at home. I did my best to unite Turkey’s democrats against an anti-democratic and authoritarian government, and we succeeded in forming a large coalition for democracy. The Nation Alliance is composed of six parties, including my Republican People’s Party, or CHP. Each of them represents a different tradition in Turkish political history. As such, the Nation Alliance symbolises our will to co-exist peacefully, despite our differences, by finding common ground on universal principles of liberal democracy. I have no doubt that we will perform strongly in the presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14th, and that we will win.

       We will demonstrate that, even under the current unjust and authoritarian conditions—with the ruling party applying constant pressure to silence the opposition—a peaceful change of government is possible through elections. As a result, Turkey will serve as a role model for other countries struggling against authoritarian governments, especially in the Middle East. This is a role that we have played before. Recall that the founder of our republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was an inspiration to reformers and anti-colonialists across the region. The Turkish Republic, founded on the tenets of secularism and the popular will, served as a model for many who have fought for democracy in their own countries.

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