Turkish opposition leaders to nominate joint candidate to run against Erdoğan

Duvar English

Leaders of Turkey's six opposition parties on Aug. 21 met for the sixth time, saying that they were “more determined and hopeful” than in February when they first held their roundtable meeting.

Following a six-hour meeting on Aug. 21, the opposition leaders released a joint statement, saying that the candidate they will nominate to run against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “will be everyone's president.”

The meeting was held at the Felicity Party headquarters in the capital Ankara and saw the attendance of the chairs of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), İYİ (Good) Party, and Felicity Party, Democrat Party, Future Party and DEVA Party.

The chairs announced that they would hold their next meeting on Oct. 2 at the CHP headquarters.

“We have become hopes of our nation with our determination by coming together for the first time on Feb. 12, 2022 to say stop against the executive presidential system's natural results which have been swiftly pushing our country to a disaster, i.e. bankruptcy in the economy, becoming disreputable in the domestic and international politics, corruption in public institutions and cadres, and sociological and psychological collapse,” the statement read.

The leaders also vowed to “end social polarization” and to “ensure social peace” in the country. 

“The language of anger and hate will lose; kindness and reciprocal respect will win. Democracy and the rule of law will be maintained. Effective politics will be developed that will hinder moral degradation and moral damages. Bribery, favoritism will go away; justice, honesty and merits will come,” it said.