Rahshan Saglam
Press TV, Istanbul
An alliance of six Turkish opposition parties has nominated Republican People Party Chairman, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, as the joint presidential candidate. Kılıçdaroğlu will be running against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the upcoming May 14 elections, with mayors of Istanbul and Ankara, Ekrem İmamoğlu and Mansur Yavaş to be appointed as vice presidents.
This was the condition of Iyi party leader, Meral Akşener, to rejoin the alliance after a debate last week where she refused the naming of Kılıçdaroğlu as the alliance’s candidate, which led to her quitting the bloc before re-joining on Monday. Kilicdaroglu not only aims at ousting president Erdogan but also to reverse many of his policies on foreign affairs, economy, and civil rights.
The Justice and Development Party or the AKP was counting on the opposition parties’ failure to find a consensus candidate, however, now that most of the opposition parties including the biggest one have agreed on one candidate, many believe the opposition has a bigger chance to topple Erdogan and his alliance.
Many believe the May 14 elections will be intense, as the winner will not only rule Turkey but will also decide the future of the country for many years to come, including its foreign policy and economic strategy.