People’s Alliance in talks with parties for cooperation in polls
ANKARA
The Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been holding talks with some political parties that want to be part of the People’s Alliance or are willing to cooperate with the ruling party for the upcoming May 14 elections.
The People’s Alliance, comprising the AKP, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Great Union Party (BBP), is in contact with the Free Cause Party (Hüda-Par), the New Welfare Party (YRP) and the Motherland Party (ANAP) for cooperation in polls.
“Discussions on enlarging the People’s Alliance continue. The BBP is already a part of the People’s Alliance. They have announced that they will support our president again. As the People’s Alliance, negotiations continue to represent the demands of our citizens in the strongest possible way,” Ömer Çelik, spokesperson of the AKP, told reporters on March 13.
Stating that the negotiations for the expansion of the People’s Alliance are going well, Çelik said, “The process regarding the New Welfare Party and ANAP will be completed this week.”
“When an alliance is made, political parties do not abolish their corporate identities and do not turn into a corporate party. Each party has its principles. Here our alliance will have a statement of principles,” Çelik said.
“We have a party program. Parties that declare support also have their programs. Of course, there may be differences. It is important to hold elections within the framework of basic principles,” Çelik stated.
AKP Deputy Chairman Numan Kurtulmuş and AKP Deputy Chairman for Election Affairs Ali İhsan Yavuz visited Hüda-Par on March 13. “Our principles are what bring us to a common point. We have continued our negotiations. We will share with you when it is clarified,” Kurtulmuş said after the meeting.
Hüda-Par Chairman Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu reminded that they had declared that they would support President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the May 14 elections.
“There is no problem in participating in the parliamentary elections together in principle. But there is no clarity on how it will be done. Our priority is the interests of our nation. There has been no snag in the negotiations so far. It continues. But we have not yet put the final point,” Yapıcıoğlu told reporters.
