Turkey
Co-chair of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Mithat Sancar. File photo: AA
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The co-chair of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Mithat Sancar, on Monday said he expects a meeting to discuss the changes needed with the candidate put forward by the Nation Alliance to run against Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming presidential elections.
Six Turkish parties, consisting of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and smaller parties have formed the “Table of Six” group, now known as Nation Alliance, in a bid to defeat Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
In a televised interview with local media, Sancar welcomed the alliance’s move to nominate CHP Leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu and called on him to visit the HDP for talks.
“We will be waiting for the candidate to meet us. We invite you to talk principles, not bargains. We want to talk about what needs to be done urgently. Our main agenda is the will of the society, which is a democratic change,” Sancar said.
Sancar noted that if any potential meetings are not satisfactory, the HDP may put forward its own candidate forward for the presidential bid.
“If we reach an agreement, we will support the candidate. On the contrary, the choice is obvious, we will have our own candidate,” he said.
Following the interview, Ozgur Ozel, a senior member of CHP, said a visit to the HDP was “probable.” He added that it is normal for a presidential candidate to pay a visit to all parties and inform them of his plans.
Kilicdaroglu said in a speech to the crowd late Monday after he was named candidate that the party’s agenda includes “peace and brotherhood.”
“We are the largest family. There should be blessed, serene, and joyful days in Turkey. God willing, we will achieve this together. We as the Nation Alliance will govern Turkey through counselling and compromise,” he said moments before his candidacy was officially announced.
The Nation alliance, of which Kilicdaroglu’s party is a member, has alsosigned a roadmap to change the current presidential system to a parliamentary one.
Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections are expected to take place on May 14th, when the alliance hopes to end the 21-year-long reign of Erdogan and the Justice and development party (AKP).
By Azhi Rasul
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