CHP, İYİ Party resolve disputes on alliance for polls

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener have resolved issues both parties have been at odds over the upcoming local elections.

The two leaders discussed on Jan. 21 over dinner their alliance in several polling districts and have come to a resolution, sources told private broadcaster CNN Türk.

The two leaders discussed the modalities of their alliance in certain districts including the capital Ankara’s Etimesgut district, the Aegean provinces of Muğla’s Bodrum district and Denizli’s Pamukkale district, the northwestern province of Kocaeli’s Çayırova district and Bursa’s Osmangazi district.

The two parties have already agreed on presenting joint candidates in many metropolises and cities under the “Nation Alliance” they had formed before the June 24, 2018 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Evaluations have been made on some districts of the metropolis Istanbul and some critical polling districts such as the southeastern province of Gaziantep in terms of mayoral candidates.

Upon the briefings of party leaders, the CHP and İYİ Party will update their alliance protocol and are expected to make statements in the coming days.

The CHP and İYİ Party have been in talks of alliance for the local elections since November 2018.

The parties in December agreed to cooperate in 21 metropolitan municipalities for the upcoming local elections.

Tensions ran high in the alliance talks between the CHP and İYİ Party when both parties disagreed on having Mansur Yavaş run as mayor for Ankara Metropolitan Municipality on İYİ Party’s ticket.

Mansur Yavaş, the former CHP mayoral candidate for the 2014 local elections, was announced as the CHP’s candidate for Ankara. İYİ Party endorsed him as their candidate as part of the alliance on Dec. 18, 2018.