Asked about CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu’s potential dialogue with the Kurdish-focused HDP, İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener has said that the HDP can never join the alliance but that she respects the relations between other political parties. Akşener also ruled out the possibility of the HDP being given ministerial positions in exchange for the party’s support for Kılıçdaroğlu. Reports Duvar English on March 8, 2023.
Nationalist opposition İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener has ruled out the possibility of the inclusion of the Kurdish-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in the Nation Alliance, but said that she respects the relations between other political parties.
Her comments came after the HDP signalled that it might support the opposition bloc’s presidential candidate Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the main opposition centrist Republican People’s Party (CHP).
“The CHP can meet with the HDP, but can never bring it to the table (opposition bloc),” Akener told journalist Fatih Altaylı on broadcaster Habertürk on March 7.
Asked by Altaylı « İYİ Party is of the view that the (nationalist) voters will not be happy about the talks with the HDP. How do you see the HDP issue? » Akşener said: « Every political party must respect relations between (other) political parties. We have until today respected this. »
Akşer also ruled out the possibility of the HDP being given ministerial positions in exchange for the party’s support for Kılıçdaroğlu.
“It is not possible for an exchange such as ministries to take place. Dialogue (with the HDP) is something else,” she said. In September, CHP lawmaker Gürsel Tekin had asserted that HDP politicians could be appointed as ministers in a government to be formed by the opposition bloc. Tekin’s words at the time triggered a flurry of angry responses from İYİ Party officials.
On March 6, HDP co-leader Mithat Sancar said that his party might support Kılıçdaroğlu on May 14 presidential election after “clear, open talks.”
“Our clear expectation is a transition for a strong democracy. If we can agree on fundamental principles, we may support him in presidential elections,” Sancar said in a live broadcast on Habertürk.
Turkey’s six-party opposition alliance announced Kılıçdaroğlu as its joint candidate to run against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the upcoming election.
The most recent survey by private pollster ORC Research revealed that Kılıçdaroğlu is leading against Erdoğan, having received 56.8 percent of the support from the survey participants, while Erdoğan received merely 43.2 percent.