Nation Alliance to announce presidential candidate on March 6

ANKARA

The leaders of the six opposition parties discussed their joint presidential candidate in a meeting on March 2 and agreed to announce the nomination officially to the public on March 6 after informing their competent committees.

“As the leaders of the political parties that make up the Nation Alliance, we have reached a common understanding about our common presidential candidate and the transition process roadmap in the 28th parliamentary term and 13th presidential elections,” said a joint statement after the meeting hosted by Felicity Party leader Temel Karamollaoğlu.

“We will come together again, in an event hosted by the Felicity Party, to share the final statement with the public on March 6, 2023, after the presidents inform the authorized boards of their party committees,” it added.

Karamollaoğlu hosted Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), Meral Akşener of the İYİ (Good) Party, Ali Babacan of the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), Gültein Uysal of the Democrat Party and Ahmet Davutoğlu of the Future Party at his headquarters in the Turkish capital.

The sole agenda of the leaders were to start deliberations regarding the looming elections and who will represent the joint nominee of the Nation Alliance. Kılıçdaroğlu is often mentioned as the strongest candidate of the alliance.

CHP Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and CHP Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş were considered potential candidates. Yavaş, in a recent statement, underlined that he is focused on Ankara and how his municipality can best help the victims of the devastating earthquakes of Feb. 6.

İmamoğlu’s candidacy is risky because of an ongoing case against him that can ban his political career.