Turkey

The televised debate, which Imamoglu had proposed prior to the March 31 vote, would be the first of its kind in Turkey at any political level since the early 2000s, when Erdogan’s AKP came to power.

The announcement was made on June 10 by Mahir Ünal and Engin Altay, the respective deputy leaders of the AKP and CHP. The two men said they agreed on a six-article protocol for the live debate after two party leaders also provided their consent.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to a television debate, amid a heated exchange after Erdoğan blasted Kılıçdaroğlu’s record during his time as head of the Social Security Administration (SSK).