CHP-İYİ Party Meeting: No Joint Candidate

Click to read the article in Turkish

In the wake of a meeting between main opposition party Republican People’s Party (CHP) and İYİ Party held yesterday (April 25), the decision to present individual candidates for each party was made. It is also reported that the idea to support the candidate who qualifies for the second ballot gained importance.

It was learned that the CHP proposed “zero threshold*” alliance, and İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener responded that she may support it on the condition that “the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) is not included”.

Different sources reported that CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu disclosed CHP’s candidate to Akşener, and told her “They are trying to manipulate us through media. We will not present Abdullah Gül** a candidate”.

Akşener announced their slogans in the press conference

In the joint press meeting held following her bilateral talks with Kılıçdaroğlu, Akşener concluded her speech: “Let me tell you our party’s slogan: Turkey and our nation will be good***”.

* There is an electoral threshold of 10 percent in Turkey’s election system. With the implementation of new election law, a party who forms an alliance with another party which overcomes the threshold will enter parliament regardless of its voting rate.

* Abdullah Gül was the former President of Turkey before Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and former chair of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

* Good means “iyi” in Turkish. It is a reference to the name of İYİ Party.