Future Party in talks to join opposition Nation Alliance, pending redesign

The Future Party, led by Ahmet Davutoğlu, is in talks to join the opposition Nation Alliance. The party will only join if the alliance is restructured and redesigned at a “higher level,” according to a party proposal.

Friday January 14 2022 02:11 pm

Davutoğlu is seen with Akşener and Kılıçdaroğlu in these collage photos.

Nergis Demirkaya / DUVAR

The Future Party is in discussions to join the opposition Nation Alliance pending changes to the coalition’s structure. The party has proposed to the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and İYİ (Good) party leaders that the alliance undergoes a “high-level” redesign and name change.

The Future Party was formed in opposition to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2019 by Ahmet Davutoğlu, former foreign minister and prime minister. To date, the Future Party has not joined the opposition Nation Alliance which was formed after elections in 2018 and consists of the CHP, İYİ Party, the Felicity Party (SP), and the Democratic Party (DP).

In the latest polling, the Nation Alliance is neck and neck with the ruling People’s Alliance, comprised of the AKP and the ultranationalist National Movement Party (MHP).

Now, Davutoğlu has met with both İYİ Party chair Meral Aksener and CHP chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Though no statement was made following either meeting, party officials said that the party representatives discussed the issues faced by Turkey, the positions of the opposition parties, the relationships between them, and the structure of the alliance. Davutoğlu told Akşener that the coalition needs to take on a higher-level design and approach in order for the Future Party to join it.

“The alliance to be formed cannot remain only as an election-oriented alliance. There are very important responsibilities ahead, such as the post-election administration process, the policies to be implemented, the determination of the cadres, the transition to the parliamentary system, and the organization of the first elections to be held after these,” Future Party officials said.

The party proposed the formation of an “executive board” that would oversee the transition back to a parliamentary system from a Presidential system and would be comprised of representatives from all coalition parties. This “board” would be bound to certain protocols and would be able to respond quickly in moments of crisis.

The Future Party further stated that the work on the transition to a new, parliamentary system should start now, before the elections planned for June 2023.

Davutoğlu said in an interview with Haber Global TV that his party would not join an existing alliance, but rather would be the “founder” of a new alliance.

“We will not join any existing alliance. Existing alliance structures will change and different political equations will emerge. I believe that there will be developments in the Nation Alliance,” he said.

CHP and İYİ Party leaders allegedly did not directly reject the Future Party’s proposals. Party leaders will continue to meet in the coming days.

(English version by Erin O'Brien)