CHP deputies give full authority to Kılıçdaroğlu on presidential candidacy

The Republican People's Party (CHP) Parliamentary Group has given its full authority to party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on all issues, including his expected nomination for the presidency. Meanwhile, Kılıçdaroğlu told journalist Murat Yetkin that the candidate will be determined after full consensus with the Nation Alliance.

Monday February 27 2023 04:48 pm

Ceren Bayar / Gazete Duvar

Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu met with his parliamentary group on Feb. 26 before the planned Nation Alliance meeting on March 2 and received the full support of the deputies on the presidential election process including the name to be put forward as a candidate.

All the deputies who took the floor during the meeting expressed that Kılıçdaroğlu should be the presidential candidate, with no one making a different assessment.

Kılıçdaroğlu, who also chaired the closed-door Party Assembly meeting afterwards, was similarly expected to receive full authorization from the party executives on issues such as candidate nomination and electoral alliance before the Six-Party Talks in March.

Kılıçdaroğlu also held an interview with journalist Murat Yetkin, saying: “The candidate of the Nation Alliance will win the election in the first round.” He added that the candidate will be determined by full consensus with the Nation Alliance.

"The candidate that will be determined by the Table of Six (Nation Alliance), will ask for the votes of every fraction of society, from all regions of the country, from every identity and belief, without discriminating anyone. This is natural. I believe that everyone who wants the democratization of Turkey will see this. We will have the opportunity to discuss all these at the March 2 meeting (with the Nation Alliance)," Kılıçdaroğlu told Yetkin.

On Feb. 24, Gültekin Uysal, the chairman of the Democratic Party (DP) which is one of the parties in the Nation Alliance, said that they want Kılıçdaroğlu to be the presidential candidate.

On Feb. 27, Kılıçdaroğlu met with Nation Alliance partner Good Party (İYİ) leader Meral Akşener. The details from the meeting have not yet been revealed.

The Nation Alliance includes the CHP, İYİ, DP, Felicity Party (SP), DEVA Party, and Future Party. They have been gathering for the Six-Party talks for months in order to decide on a common candidate for the presidential elections that is planned to be held in 2023.

(English version by Can Bodrumlu)