HDP signals support for Kılıçdaroğlu against Erdoğan

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The Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) may support the main opposition leader in the presidential elections, the party's co-leader said late yesterday (March 6).

"We had said we would support the [opposition's] candidate if a ... consensus was reached in consequence of direct talks," Mithat Sancar told Habertürk TV during a live interview. "Otherwise, the option is clear: We'll nominate our own candidate."

The party in early January announced that it would put up a separate candidate while leaving the door open for cooperation with the main opposition bloc depending on its choice of candidate.

The six-party bloc yesterday named Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), as its candidate.

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Congratulating Kılıçdaroğlu for his candidacy, Sancar said, "We are expecting his visit to our headquarters to discuss these issues."

The HDP intends to discuss principles regarding a "democratic transition" rather than "negotiating" with the CHP, he added.

In response, Özgür Özel, a deputy chair for the CHP parliamentary group, said such a visit is "possible."

"A presidential candidate can visit all political parties," he told Habertürk separately, recalling that such visits had happened over the years. "HDP is a party that gets six million votes ... You can't ignore them."

HDP's key role

During the interview with Habertürk, Sancar further pointed out his party's key role in the elections, which "places a big responsibility on us."

Describing the upcoming election as "perhaps the most important one" in the country's history, he said, adding that "we should pursue an open and principled policy."

According to almost all the opinion polls in the past few years, neither President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling alliance, nor the six-party opposition bloc has enough public support to win the presidency, which requires 50 percent plus one vote.

The HDP's voting rate is around 10 percent, according to polls, which makes the party the "kingmaker" ahead of what is anticipated as the most challenging elections for Erdoğan in his two-decade rule.

The elections are formally scheduled for June 18, but the president has recently said multiple times that the government intends to bring the polls forward to May 14.

Often accused by the ruling bloc of being "legal extensions of terrorists," the HDP is also facing a closure case over its alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). (ME/VK)