CHP-MHP alliance will favor us, AKP says

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

An alleged alliance between the opposition parties the CHP and the MHP for the local elections in 2014 would be in favor of the ruling party, says AKP official. DAILY NEWS photo, Selahattin SÖNMEZ

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy chair Ekrem Erdem ruled out rumors suggesting the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) were set to seal an election alliance accord for the upcoming local elections in March 2014. He also added that such an alliance would eventually be in favor of the ruling party.

“My personal opinion is that if this alliance happened, it would not be very useful for the two parties, furthermore, the MHP would disappear in such alliance and in the long run, maybe [this alliance] would take Turkey to a two-party system,” Erdem told Anadolu Agency yesterday.

On July 16, spokesmen from the two parties denied such an alliance. However, CHP deputy Haluk Koç yesterday signaled that the door was not closed.

“I say it as a top officer, there were no such talks,” Koç said. “As Koç the citizen, I would take any option to force this tyrant power back down.”

MHP deputy chairman Semih Yalçın categorically denied the alliance, saying the two parties could “never be an option.”

Erdem said in the past, several parties achieved good results from similar alliances since the alliance created a “synergy.”

Not beneficial for MHP and CHP: AKP official

“I don’t believe that it would be beneficial for the MHP and CHP to enter into an alliance because they are two parties with different worldviews,” he added. Erdem recalled that the CHP and MHP had jointly campaigned against constitutional amendments voted on in a 2010 referendum, but they eventually failed since the amendments were approved with 58 percent of the vote.

“I do not believe that this alliance will happen. If it ever happens, without doubt, the AKP will be the one who profits from it,” he said.