Erdogan dominates Turkey’s uneven presidential race

Reuters ^ | Mon Aug 4, 2014 1:03am EDT | Humeyra Pamuk and Johnny Hogg

[Olog-hai]

After dominating Turkish politics for more than a decade, few doubt Erdogan will beat his main rival Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, a diplomat with little profile in domestic politics, or Selahattin Demirtas, a young Kurdish hopeful.

But Erdogan’s opponents say it has been an unfair contest, a charge the prime minister dismisses. An Erdogan victory would concentrate more power in the hands of a man who has divided Turkish society along secular-religious lines and worried Turkey’s western allies.

While his rivals have funded their rallies mainly from donations, Erdogan has turned his public appearances, some of them state-financed, into a show of strength, from the ground-breaking ceremony of Istanbul’s third airport in June to the launch of a high-speed train line in late July. …

[Olog-hai]

Hmm. Who else leaped from prime minister to president not too long ago?

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

(article): "While his rivals have funded their rallies mainly from donations,
Erdogan has turned his public appearances, some of them state-financed, into a show of strength,.."

Ah ! The Power of being the incumbant !
Sounds like one of our elections, except it's done thru franking 'mailers'. !