Pro-Kurdish DEM Party still deliberating on İstanbul mayoral candidacy

In the lead-up to the local elections, the pro-Kurdish People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) has yet to decide on its move, party officials have said. The party’s stance is deemed critical in determining the outcome of the elections.

The statements follow remarks by Başak Demirtaş, wife of imprisoned Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtaş, expressing her potential candidacy for İstanbul mayor if found appropriate by the party.

Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, the party's deputy co-chair overseeing local administrations, clarified, "Mrs. Başak expresses her own opinion. In other words, there is no candidacy. There is no decision made here."

DEM Party is engaged in discussions with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) regarding collaboration in the local elections at the end of March. As part of this, DEM is considering not fielding candidates in major cities like İstanbul and Ankara, replicating a strategy employed in the 2019 elections, ending the ruling party's 25-year dominance in these two cities.

Addressing questions from journalists on Monday, party officials emphasized that discussions about nominating candidates in metropolises or determining potential candidates are still under consideration in relevant committees.

Responding to inquiries about the issue, Sezai Temelli, deputy chair of the DEM parliamentary group, said, "If these are determined through the results of our mutual commission works, they will be announced to the public. There is no reason not to have a joint effort on places where a coalition can win."

Tiryaki, in response to questions, mentioned, "There is no decision made for Istanbul. Our efforts and preparations are ongoing intensively."

Regarding the relationship with CHP, Tiryaki stated, "We are in discussions; we have a dialogue. However, we do not have a defined collaboration with CHP. There is no common decision we have taken yet."

On the speculation about DEM Party's Ankara Metropolitan Municipality candidacy, Tiryaki said, "We have created a pool of names for many election areas, including Ankara. We are trying to determine the names in this pool within the framework of urban consensus."

Tiryaki remarked, "In our efforts to nominate candidates with democratic forces in western provinces, we are not only focusing on names but also exploring where and how we can develop collaborations with whom. These efforts have not been completed." (AEK/VK)