Support The Moscow Times!

Kremlin 'Strongly' Denies Accusations of Meddling in Turkish Vote

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, presidential candidate from the Turkish opposition’s six-party alliance speaks during a campaign event. Alp Eren Kaya / Depo Photos / ABACAPRESS.COM / TASS

The Kremlin on Friday denied it was meddling in Turkey's presidential election campaign, after Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan's main rival accused Moscow of spreading "deep fakes" targeting him.

Turkish opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu claimed earlier this week that Russia was behind an online smear campaign against him ahead of the crucial election on Sunday. 

"We strongly reject such statements," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"We officially declare: there can be no talk of any interference." 

"If someone provided Mr. Kilicdaroglu with such information, they are liars," Peskov said.

He added that Moscow "highly values" its bilateral relations with Ankara.

"Turkey has a very responsible, sovereign and thought-through position on a whole range of regional and global problems that we face," Peskov said.

Russia and Turkey have retained close ties throughout the Ukraine conflict, with Erdogan often acting as a mediator who talks to both Moscow and Kyiv. 

Kilicdaroglu's allegations came hours after a third-party candidate dropped out of the race after being targeted by an online smear campaign.

"Dear Russian friends," Kilicdaroglu said on Twitter.

"You are behind the montages, conspiracies, deep fakes and tapes that were exposed in this country yesterday," he said without providing details.

"If you want our friendship after May 15, get your hands off the Turkish state. We are still in favor of cooperation and friendship."

Polls show the secular opposition leader edging ahead of Erdogan in Sunday's presidential ballot. 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more