Kilicdaroglu, a potential Turkish president, challenges religious taboo by declaring “I am an Alevi” in video.

The upcoming presidential election in Turkey is just a few weeks away. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the opposition candidate, is vying to remove the incumbent, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Recent polls indicate that the 74-year-old Kilicdaroglu might win the majority of votes in the first round, scheduled for May 14th.

In a viral video, the candidate has openly identified himself as an Alevi, a member of the country’s most substantial religious minority.

Though Alevis are Muslims, some Sunni extremists regard them as heretical. In this report, we examine this issue in detail.

Elsewhere, Israel observed Memorial Day amidst deep political divisions, as it approaches its 75th anniversary of independence.

The ceremony, which honors fallen soldiers and victims of terrorist attacks, took a unique turn this year, with a joint Israeli-Palestinian memorial service.

Israel’s top court ordered authorities to allow 150 Palestinians to attend the ceremony, despite a government ban.

Robi Damelin, a spokesperson for the Parents Circle Families Forum, who lost her child to a Palestinian sniper, discusses the peace initiative at length.

Finally, a captivating TV series, “Smile, General,” aired in Syria during Ramadan, garnering high viewership. Although the show is fictional, it draws considerable parallels to President Bashar Al-Assad and his family, who have been in power for half a century.

The show features exiled Syrian actors known for their opposition to the regime and was filmed in Turkey.