Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu found himself in hot water when an image of him stepping on a Muslim prayer rug with his shoes incurred the wrath of conservative voters he hoped to garner votes in May 14 elections.
Social media was awash with criticism of the presidential candidate when the photo (taken on the sidelines of an iftar dinner, which marks the end of daily Muslim fasting) emerged over the weekend. Though the place he posed at was not a mosque, stepping on the rug with dirty shoes was insulting for Muslim voters enraged at gaffe-prone Kılıçdaroğlu.
The CHP leader defended himself, saying he was unaware he was stepping on a prayer rug, placed on a similarly colored carpet, as he was too busy posing for photos with people wanting to pose with him. He stressed that it was not a deliberate act to offend Muslims.
But his opponents were quick to add it to the list of gaffes by Kılıçdaroğlu, whose blunders most often include doctored photos or photos he shared with misinterpretation on social media in a bid to attack President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his rival in upcoming elections.
One user pointed out that Kılıçdaroğlu's "helalleşme" (reconciliation with voters CHP alienated over the years, mainly conservative ones) failed. An official from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said that Kılıçdaroğlu should have stuck with "publicity photos of iftar dinners" he joined with other CHP officials.
In the past, the CHP has advocated a staunchly secular ideology and defended the headscarf ban for Muslim women. Nevertheless, the election campaign brought out religious sensitivity as the party pursued more votes, including claims that Kılıçdaroğlu was among the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
But the latest photo blunder may backfire, as it only added to the chagrin of undecided conservative voters inclining for Kılıçdaroğlu. After all, in the photo, Kılıçdaroğlu was standing next to Canan Kaftancıoğlu, head of the CHP's Istanbul branch. Kaftancıoğlu is known for her social media posts praising pork, the consumption of which is forbidden in Islam.
Leyla Şahin Usta, deputy chair of the AK Party, said she was "worried" about people praying on such prayer rugs and still supporting "this man." Ramazan Can, another AK Party lawmaker, said he could not believe Kılıçdaroğlu was "so stranger" to the "values of the society."
Although the CHP leader acknowledged his mistake, his supporters quickly dismissed the incident, claiming the prayer rug was not "sacred."
