Opposition coalition member and İYİ party chair Meral Akşener unceremoniously left the coalition designed to defeat President Erdoğan on Friday (March 3). After putting the coalition on blast for wanting to endorse CHP’s party boss Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu for president, Akşener demanded that either Istanbul or Ankara’s CHP mayors be endorsed instead. The mayors met with Akşener hours ago and appears to have convinced her to rejoin the coalition.
Last Friday saw the departure of the İYİ Party from the Table of Six electoral alliance, a monumental development that threw the opposition’s electoral chances into serious jeopardy with just months remaining until Turkey’s upcoming presidential election. Following the group’s failure to unite around a since candidate to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the upcoming polls, İYİ Party Chairwoman Meral Akşener announced in a press conference Friday (March 3) that the center-right party could not come to an agreement with the other five members of the alliance. While the other five parties had agreed on Republican People’s Party (CHP) chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu as their chosen presidential candidate to challenge Erdoğan, Akşener called on either İstanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu or Ankara mayor Mansur Yavaş to run instead. Both mayors are members of Kılıçdaroğlu’s CHP and seen as popular and electorally viable options to challenge Turkey’s long-tenured strongman.
Hours ago, Yavaş and Imamoğlu met with Akşener, seemingly in an attempt to convince her to return to the opposition. According to information obtained by Medyascope, Akşener has agreed to a compromise. While she no longer insists on the mayors running for president, one of the mayors will be appointed vice president should the opposition secure a victory.
Pandemonium over the weekend
As alarm bells sounded on Friday evening amidst the break in the alliance, CHP head and likely opposition presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu assembled an emergency meeting of CHP party mayors from around Turkey in Ankara to discuss the situation. Following the meeting of the party mayors, a group photo was released affirming their support of Kılıçdaroğlu’s candidacy. İmamoğlu and Yavaş also released statements independently, voicing their support for the CHP head and effectively turning down Akşener’s request that they run as candidates in place of Kılıçdaroğlu.
Attempting to allay fears of a complete opposition collapse, Kılıçdaroğlu also released a video message on Friday saying he intended to continue growing the alliance:
“The table has to grow, and no one can stop it. We can, and will, defeat Erdogan and Erdogan’s propaganda machine in every way.”
Following the departure of the center-right nationalist İYİ Party, the possible expansion of the opposition alliance has been heavily discussed, possibly with the inclusion of farther left-leaning parties. Over the weekend, Kılıödaroğlu met with the leftist Sol Party.
“Kılıçdaroğlu was upset, but said we must move forward”
Following a meeting of high-ranking CHP party officials on Friday, a spokesperson described Kılıödaroğlu’s mood as downbeat but determined, reportedly saying during the meeting “We must move forward.”
Medyascope'un haftalık e-bülteni
Andaç'a abone olun
Editörlerimizin derlediği öngörüler, analizler, Türkiye’yi ve dünyayı şekillendiren haberler, Medyascope’un e-bülteni Andaç‘la her çarşamba mail kutunuzda.
İmamoğlu and Yavaş affirm support for Kılıçdaroğlu
Following the meeting of the 11 CHP mayors in Ankara with Chairman Kılıçdaroğlu, Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş and İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu each released separate statements supporting the CHP head’s candidacy, hushing speculation that they may run in his place as requested by Akşener. İmamoğlu’s statement read:
“I have no doubt that Mr. Kilicdaroglu will continue to represent both the will of our nation and of our party at the coalition table, and that he will continue to grow our coalition
as the natural son of the CHP, bringing unity as the nation desires.”
In a similar statement, the Ankara mayor said:
“In the statements we have made so far, we have stated that we would not act against our Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s will. Our position on this point has remained unchanged. Our hope is that our alliance will continue on its path with all its constituent parts.”
HDP head warns against hopelessness
Although not a part of the opposition alliance, the left-leaning pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) has yet to announce their own presidential candidate. The support of Turkey’s Kurdish voters, especially concentrated in the country’s southeastern provinces, is seen as a critical piece to a hypothetical opposition victory over President Erdoğan.
Over the weekend, HDP co-chair Mithat Sancar released a statement warning against hopelessness in the face of opposition collapse:
“The HDP is aware of our responsibilities. We encourage everyone not to succumb to hopelessness.”
The HDP had previously announced in January that they would run their own presidential candidate independent of the Table of Six coalition. The candidate, however, has yet to be announced.
Story by Leo Kendrick for Medyascope
