Turkish main opposition leader open to discuss co-leadership for youth power

Okan Konuralp ANKARA / Hürriyet

Some hundreds of youth met with CHP officials at the party headquarters as part of the ‘OccupyCHP’ event. AA Photo

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is open to discuss appointing a co-leader to management for better representation of the youth, with calls to efficiently cooperate in the course of presidential elections.

“We can hit the road together with the youth if we can agree on a pro-freedom and pro-hope presidential candidate. They can identify their candidate or can profile their ideal president in various platforms. Then we can turn the presidential election into friendship with the youth,” Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, head of the CHP, told daily Hürriyet in an interview. Kılıçdaroğlu said, “We are determined to adopt policies in line with the expectations of our youth. They can come to the CHP and lead the transformation of the CHP. I am ready to discuss all of their demands, including co-leadership.”

Co-leadership is a system used by the Kurdish political parties that are being managed by one male and one female. Kılıçdaroğlu, however, is discussing pledging this seat to a youth who wants to have a say in politics. He made this statement to Hürriyet following the “OccupyCHP” event over the weekend, where some hundreds of youth met with CHP officials at the party headquarters in Ankara.

The CHP’s leader recalled that parliamentary elections will follow the presidential polls and this gives the youth a good opportunity to get involved into politics more efficiently. Kılıçdaroğlu admitted that changes to the party structure cannot be as quick as the OccupyCHP activists demanded, but underlined that the upcoming presidential elections could give both sides a good opportunity for cooperation. “We need to have cooperation with our youth for the presidential elections,” he stressed.