Several brawls broke out on Monday afternoon May 1 in France in Marseille between supporters and opponents of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, around a polling station open to Turkish nationals for the presidential and legislative elections, leaving at least four injured, a learned AFP from a police source.
The police had to intervene twice to separate these Turkish voters called to go to the polls two weeks before the opening of these two elections set for May 14 in Turkey, said the Bouches-du police headquarters. -Rhone.
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tear gas
A first brawl broke out around 2:30 p.m. around this polling station located in the southern districts of Marseille, near Parc Chanot (8th arrondissement), during which four people were injured, before being taken to hospital. of the Timone.
The police had to use tear gas to separate the two groups.
Other clashes then took place at the end of the day, despite the presence of the police, and two people were arrested, the police headquarters told AFP.
At 69, Mr. Erdogan is a candidate for his own re-election in the presidential election on May 14, but he will have to face a united opposition for the first time after 20 years in power.
Facing him, three suitors, including his main opponent, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, 74, candidate of an alliance of six opposition parties ranging from the nationalist right to the democratic left, dominated by the CHP (social democrat) founded by the father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
The polls predict a tight presidential election, which both camps claim to be able to win in the first round.
A possible second round would be organized on May 28.