MHP excludes Akşener, Türkeş on candidate list, Türkeş resigns

ANKARA

The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) of Turkey has not nominated Deputy Prime Minister Tuğrul Türkeş, who was expelled from the party after accepting an offer to join the country’s interim cabinet, and former Deputy Parliament Speaker Meral Akşener, when it submitted candidate list for the Nov. 1 snap elections on Sept. 18.

Shortly after delivery of the candidate lists to the Supreme Election Board (YSK), Türkeş resigned from his party, raising expectations that he may be nominated on the ticket of the major partner of the interim government, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), as there were still hours left until the deadline to submit candidate lists.

Along with Türkeş, AKP leader and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu also asked Akşener to take part in the interim government, but Akşener refused.

Shortly after the June 7 parliamentary election and in the run-up to the election of a new parliament speaker by the new assembly, Akşener was widely expected to be nominated for the post by her party.

Yet, MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli aggressively refuted such a prospect.

“I never like names being cited this way and I would exclude the one whose name is cited. You should know that she would be excluded if you cite Meral Akşener so frequently,” Bahçeli said.