Turkey’s opposition denounces fairness of vote

As Turkey heads for presidential and parliamentary elections at the weekend that is shaping up to be the strongest challenge to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his 20 years as leader, complaints are growing about the fairness of the vote.

Turkey’s opposition has long said that the country’s elections are played out on an unlevel playing field, claims often backed by international observers.

Media coverage stands out as the most obvious example of where Mr. Erdogan enjoys an advantage over his opponents, but factors such as the use of state resources while campaigning and the questionable interpretation of electoral law also feature.

Some 90% of Turkey’s media is in the hands of the government or its backers, according to Reporters Without Borders, ensuring overwhelming airtime for the president.

Only a handful of opposition newspapers remain in print, most having transitioned to online-only editions.

During April, Mr. Erdogan received nearly 33 hours of airtime on the main state-run TV station, according to opposition members of the broadcasting watchdog. His presidential opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, received 32 minutes.

The main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, last month launched legal action against broadcaster TRT for failing to screen its campaign video.