CHP leader meets Democrat Party leader amid plans for election alliance

ANKARA

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu met with Democrat Party (DP) leader Gültekin Uysal on April 5 as part of his plans to set up an opposition alliance against the People’s Alliance, established by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). 

“Turkey has major problems and needs to overcome them. We will come together with all political parties that agree that these problems need to be resolved,” Kılıçdaroğlu told reporters after the meeting.

“The main job of the political parties is to solve the problems and provide a better life for 80 million people [Turkey’s population]. Our meetings with other parties will continue,” he said.

Describing the Democrat Party as one of the long-standing political parties of Turkey, Kılıçdaroğlu said they discussed how the problems could be resolved. The Democrat Party is a small party with no serious influence on Turkish politics.

The establishment of the People’s Alliance ahead of the 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections has led other opposition parties to consider forming similar partnerships especially after the government refused to lower the 10 percent electoral threshold.

The İYİ (Good) Party and the Felicity Party (SP) have also been mulling forming an alliance. At a meeting with his lawmakers, Kılıçdaroğlu said he was planning to visit İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener in the coming days to congratulate her re-election as chair of the party on April 1.

Apart from works on alliances, another issue the CHP has been bringing to its agenda is concerns over election safety, after a set of legal amendments on the Election Law was approved by parliament. CHP officials say changes made in the Election Law will undermine poll safety.