AKP, MHP might hold joint election rally: Presidential spokesman

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan might hold a joint rally with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the Great Union Party (BBP) might join under the “People’s Alliance,” but the date and venue is yet to be discussed, presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın has said.

The joint rally will reflect the “power, unity and spirit of the ‘People’s Alliance,’” Kalın told reporters on May 9.

The rally will “crown the alliance as embraced by the people on the streets,” he added.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the MHP are in an alliance for the presidential elections, but the leaders of the two parties have not planned to hold a joint rally until now.

Kalın also noted that Erdoğan will visit Sarajevo on May 20, where he plans to hold a rally. But the president will not hold rallies in other European countries, as some Western countries have banned Turkish politicians from campaigning on their soil.

Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have all announced they would not allow Turkish politicians to carry out pre-election campaigning in their territories, citing public order concerns.

Erdoğan has said his party would hold the first overseas election rally in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Turkish president was expected to pay a working visit first in June but then moved it to May 20 because of the early election.

Erdoğan is set to hold election rallies in 30 cities until June 24.