In Turkey, the opposition erupted ten weeks before the presidential election

Good Party leader Merel Aksener knocked on the door of the anti-Erdogan coalition on Friday.

By
Dolphin Minoy

Posted On 03/03/2023 at 4:15 PM

From our correspondent in Istanbul

Is Turkey’s Opposition Coalition Imploding? A few days before the official announcement scheduled for this Friday, March 3, Monday, the general candidate for the presidency, Merel Aksener, leader of the Good Party, slammed the door on this anti-Erdogan coalition. The origins of the turnaround: His refusal to universally accept the wishes of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the main opposition CHP, which will face the outgoing president in the May 14 election.

In a televised speech, the ex-nationalist, who founded his own political movement, considered the result of this opponent’s election. “Minor Calculations” against the public interest of Turkey. “From yesterday, table six (Note: This alliance is nicknamed) It has lost its ability to reflect the will of the nation.”, she began. Before adding: “This coalition is no longer a platform of common knowledge where possible candidates can be discussed: it has become an office of notaries working with the approval of a single candidate”.

The disagreement was no secret. For weeks, Meral Aksener has openly supported another candidate, Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s most watched mayor, and has not ruled out supporting Ankara’s Siyavash Mansur. “Our Nation Loves You, Our Nation Loves You”After a meeting with the executives of his party, he started for them as well.

The fracture explodes

A date for announcing a candidate, previously set for February 14, was initially postponed due to the February 6 earthquake that killed at least 50,000 people. Its postponement to next Monday was finally announced through a joint announcement this Thursday, March 2. We have reached an agreement on our general presidential candidate for the 13th presidential election and on the transition process. Can we read a press release signed by representatives of six political organizations – a declaration now obsolete.

The breakdown, which came two days after Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed a double ballot, presidential and legislative, on May 14, does not bode well for an opposition that has already had little time to organize. At a time when President Erdogan’s popularity rating has never been lower, this risks serving his interests, ironically, against a backdrop of economic crisis and anger related to his disastrous handling of the earthquake. “Erdogan’s biggest asset has always been facing a weak opposition. At a time when popular opposition to Erdogan’s power is strong, the opposition coalition is breaking up around a candidate for election.lamented Gönül Tol, director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute, on Twitter.